Your Hands in Mine
by willynilly23
Summary: Sequel to Your Lips on Mine, post-finale Charah goodness.
1. Chapter 1

Your Hand in Mine P1

A/N: This is a sequel to my 1st Chuck story "Your Lips on Mine". If you haven't read that one the big thing to know is Sarah is getting her memories back slowly, but is back together with Chuck and headed on vacation with a short stop in DC to see everyone's favorite General.

***555***

Chuck was glad they hadn't sold the Gulfstream yet. General Beckman had given them coordinates for a private airfield in West Virginia and Chuck reviewed everything with the pilot and first officer while Sarah stowed their carry-on items.

"I could've flown the plane," Sarah offered.

"I know, but that isn't much of a vacation starter. You can fly home if you want," Chuck offered wanting her to know it wasn't that he didn't trust her faulty memory.

"OK," she agreed as she sank into a leather love seat and crossed her long legs.

Chuck had just had those long legs wrapped around his body in the supply closet not 2 hours ago and he felt his mouth go dry at the site of them again.

"We are cleared for our scheduled take off," the pilot stated.

"Huh?" Chuck replied his eyes still glued to Sarah's legs.

"Take off, in 20 minutes, Chuck," the pilot reiterated.

"Right, thanks Captain," Chuck snapped out of it.

Sarah smiled and stared at Chuck through her eye lashes, certain if she looked at him directly the plane might spontaneously combust. The spark between them seemed to be growing stronger every day, Sarah was certain it would ebb, but she was very wrong about that. It seemed the more she gave herself to Chuck the more she wanted him, she hoped that had been true before too.

"You going to join me or are you planning to stand for takeoff?" she grinned.

"I'll be right with you," he smiled and headed to the galley, returning with two small bottles of water.

He tucked the water into compartments on their arm rests and joined his wife in the double wide seat they always occupied when flying together.

"Why the secret rendezvous point?" Sarah asked worrying a nail between her teeth.

"Not sure, with Beckman it could be anything, but it is actually a lot easier than flying into any of the DC metro airports, so look on the bright side," Chuck took her hand and laced their fingers together trying not to let his own curiosity show.

Once the plane was airborne and the Captain had cleared them to move about the cabin Chuck went and foraged for snacks. The plane was pretty well stocked, but they wound up not having time to stop for dinner on the way to the airport.

"I present a snack buffet," Chuck said with a flourish as he laid out dishes of nuts and dried fruit and chocolate covered pretzels.

"No shrimp?" Sarah arched an eyebrow and Chuck smiled.

"You remember that?"

"Morgan ate his weight in them on one flight and I was panicked he was going to throw up all over my beautiful plane," Sarah stroked the soft tan leather adoringly.

Chuck decided then and there they were keeping the plane.

"He did look a little green on landing," Chuck laughed. "I'll make sure the plane has better provisions for the flight home."

"This is fine," she smiled, "we should actually sleep a little if possible."

"Matt, Mrs. Carmichael and I are going to try and sleep, wake me if you need anything," Chuck had picked up the phone to the cockpit before Sarah finished her thought.

"Yes, sir, I'll try to keep the flight as smooth as I can, sleep well."

"You too," Chuck said before he realized what he said, "I mean thanks, not you too, please don't go to sleep."

The pilot laughed at Chuck's babbling as Sarah's eyes went wide.

Sarah unbuckled her seat belt, took her bottle of water and the bowl of chocolate covered pretzels and started moving to the back of the plane. Chuck didn't have to be asked twice to follow.

***555***

"This may surprise you," Chuck had a hard time getting his breath back as Sarah rolled off of him, "but before we bought this plane I had never had sex on a plane."

"Why would that surprise me?" Sarah giggled as she placed a hand over her heart to try to slow the rapid beating.

"Because I am so good at it," Chuck rolled back on top of her and kissed her again.

Sarah giggled louder and shifted her body to accept Chuck's weight, her thighs cradling his narrow hips as her feet trailed delicately along the back side of his calves. Chuck flexed his calf muscles against her toes and nuzzled his cheek against her shoulder, the five o'clock shadow adding a lovely friction.

"What are you laughing at, Mrs. Bartowski?"

"How adorable you are," she said honestly as she ran cool fingers along his slightly damp hairline before reaching to kiss his forehead.

"I am adorable," he agreed.

"Yes, Chuck, you are. You are adorable and sexy and kind and funny and I am so happy to be going on vacation with you…" Sarah trailed off and Chuck knew she was remembering something.

"You asked me to go on vacation before."

"A couple times actually, which one are you remembering?"

"I was wearing a pink dress. A bridesmaid dress?"

"Ellie's wedding," Chuck clarified.

"That dress was blue," she corrected him.

"The second dress was blue, the real dress for the actual wedding, but there was a whole other wedding," Chuck tried to explain.

"Oh, the one Casey planned?" Sarah was remembering something Chuck had said before.

"Casey planned the 2nd one, Awesome's mother planned the first one. You looked gorgeous at both of them, well until the sprinklers went off at the first one and you kind of looked like a drowned rat," Chuck smiled.

"I think I need to hear that story in detail," Sarah said as a big yawn shook her body.

"We have 2 weeks to talk about anything you want, just get some sleep now," Chuck shifted his body off of hers and drew her close to wrap around her.

Sarah nodded against his chest and was asleep within minutes.

***555***

Chuck woke alone in the sleeper cabin, he found his carry on on the floor at the foot of the bed and proceeded to freshen up before searching for his wife. Sarah was dressed, her hair and make-up done and she was sipping a cup of coffee in the main cabin when he emerged.

"Morning," she smiled.

Chuck could see from the streaky pink and orange out the window that they had actually caught up to tomorrow on their overnight flight East.

"Morning," he returned the smile.

"Coffee is fresh," she raised her glass and he retreated to the galley to pour himself a cup.

He found an open box of granola bars and ate one standing there before taking another back to nibble on.

"You sleep OK?" Chuck asked as he tried not to spill his coffee.

"I did, not as well as you though. I climbed over you this morning and you mumbled something about Mario and rolled over. I must be losing my touch already," she emphasized her words with her hand on his thigh.

"I must have been playing Mario Cart in my dream, heh, but trust me your touch is just fine," he assured as he squeezed her hand.

"Everybody up back there," the pilot spoke over the intercom and Chuck picked up the phone.

"Good morning, Captain."

"Morning, Chuck, we are about 30 minutes out," the pilot reported.

"Thanks."

***555***

The plane landed smoothly on the private airstrip in West Virginia. Chuck could see a limo parked off to the side and a few follow vehicles in sight as well. Chuck opened the hatch and released the stairs as Sarah talked to the pilot and first officer about their next leg.

"Ready, babe?" Chuck asked as he ducked his head into the cockpit.

Sarah nodded, not really sure she was ready, but trusting in Chuck. He started down the stairs first, reaching back to offer Sarah a hand. It was cool in West Virginia in February and the wind whipped at her hair. They walked hand in hand to the limo, a chauffeur standing at the ready.

"Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael," he greeted.

"Good morning," Chuck returned as the man opened the door.

Chuck peeked in, seeing only General Beckman in the limo he allowed Sarah to slide in ahead of him, folding his long legs into the long car after her.

"Thank you for coming," Beckman began.

"Of course, General," Sarah replied.

"I know how much you two have been through and I am unsure how to tell you this, but it is possible that Chuck's status has leaked."

"My status?" Chuck asked confused.

General Beckman tapped her temple and Chuck remembered he had the Intersect again, with all the stress and emotion over Sarah it was honestly the last thing on his mind.

"Oh right, that old thing," he laughed.

Sarah looked less mirthful.

"What do you mean, General?"

"I originally asked you here to try to convince you to come back to the agency, to put the Intersect to use for the greater good again, but last night I heard chatter that someone at the concert hall was working with Quinn, and that guy saw you diffuse the bomb, he got away" Beckman laid it out.

"OK," Chuck nodded slowly taking it all in.

"Quinn was obsessed with the Intersect, surely his team all knew what it is and what it can do," Sarah said quickly.

"Exactly my fear. We rounded up most of Quinn's crew though, both at the concert hall and around the world. This guy, if he knows anything, is in the wind, but unsupported. I can't specify the threat," Beckman said with a frown, she did not like being uncertain.

"So what are you saying?" Chuck asked straight out.

"I still want you to consider coming back to the agency, but right now your safety and the safety of the Intersect is paramount."

Chuck was pleased she had put his own safety ahead of the Intersect's for once.

"I'm not going in to a bunker," Chuck held his hand up in protest.

"And I am not going to return to my role as handler, I am Chuck's wife now," Sarah responded as vehemently.

"I am not suggesting either. I have sent a couple of agents ahead of you to Bermuda, they are doing a full sweep of your resort. Your scheduled vacation is actually perfect, gives us time to work on capturing this man while we have you in a secluded and easy-to-secure location. Sarah, I do ask that you keep a close eye on Chuck and Chuck if you do flash on anyone you are to alert the team immediately."

"That's it?" Chuck asked skeptically.

"That's it. Well, one more small thing. I ask that you stop back here on your way home so we can have that original conversation," Beckman grinned.

"Yes, Ma'am," Chuck nodded.

"General, will the men on the ground be surveilling us?" Sarah asked with a cringe as she saw Chuck go instantly red.

"No, Sarah, your privacy will be complete. They will leave panic buttons for you though, don't hesitate to use them if needed. You will also have an encrypted portal, I trust Chuck can find it, you can use it to communicate with me or the team as needed."

"Thank you," Sarah nodded.

"Enjoy your vacation," the General stated with finality and knocked on the window.

The chauffeur opened the door and Chuck and Sarah made the short trip back to the plane. Within 30 minutes they were wheels up for Bermuda and an hour later they landed in paradise. Sarah looked less giddy than she should.

"Babe, don't let this ruin our vacation," Chuck kissed her cheek as they taxied.

"Are we ever going to be free from danger?" she asked in a small voice.

"I don't know, Sarah, but we are safer together."

"Beckman did tell me to keep a close eye on you," Sarah restated her orders.

"Just an eye?" Chuck smirked.

Sarah closed the distance and placed her lips firmly against his.

"Now you're getting the idea," Chuck smiled against her lips.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Your Hands in Mine P2

A/N: I love Bermuda, it is possibly my favorite place on the planet. I have been several times and actually stayed at Elbow Beach once (although not in the lush accommodations Chuck & Sarah have), it is amazing as I am describing.

***555***

The resort sent a car and it was waiting for Chuck and Sarah, a sporty little car that barely fit their luggage and Chuck's tall frame, but the driver was friendly and the roads narrow as they drove along the coast. Sarah had received a message from the team on the ground that the resort and the driver had been vetted and all was clear on the ground in Bermuda.

"I am Sam, I will be with you for your entire stay Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael," the driver introduced.

"Nice to meet you Sam, I'm Chuck, please and this is Sarah," Chuck introduced them.

"Anything you need during your stay, or if you want to go off resort for anything, I will be your guy," Sam clarified.

"That is great," Chuck smiled, "but we are pretty low maintenance."

"It's beautiful," Sarah noted of the turquoise water under a bright blue sky.

It was only about 65, but the sun felt strong through the window.

"We like it," their Bermudian driver smiled.

"I can see why," Sarah smiled back.

"It will just be you and the gulls at your little cottage," the driver noted.

"That's what we were hoping for," Chuck replied and caught the driver's sly smile in the rearview mirror.

"There is a small conference on property, but you will likely never even see them," the driver continued as Sarah squeezed Chuck's hand, but never took her eyes off the scenery.

About 20 minutes later they started up a winding drive that levelled off with a gorgeous view of ocean and trees.

"This is the main building, front desk, library and what not, you may want to venture up here at some point during your stay, it is quite stunning, but everything is ready for you at your cottage," Sam noted as he drove slowly past the main building.

Beyond it Sarah could see a large pool area and another gorgeous building.

"Pool area, heated with heated cabanas as well and the spa behind it, I hope you will take advantage of that, it is the finest on the island," Sam said with pride.

"We will definitely be taking advantage of that," Sarah nodded.

The grounds of the resort were beautiful, pastel colored buildings dotted the landscape as it rolled towards the pink sand beach. Yellow umbrellas and chairs were set on a small patch of the beach.

"It is the off-season, so we only set up a portion of the beach. It is still lovely to go down and sit by the water," Sam explained, "you will have a lovely view as well from your balcony and lanai."

Chuck saw a few people in the navy blue Elbow Beach polos walking the grounds as they rode through, but not another guest.

"And here we are," Sam announced as he pulled the small car into a gravel drive beside a free standing building the size of a small house.

"Wow," was all Sarah could manage.

Over her years as a CIA agent she had stayed in some lavish places, but never for fun and never with a man she loved like she loved Chuck, it took on a whole new dimension.

"The Caprice is one of our jewels," Sam beamed as he helped Sarah from the car.

Another man came to join Sam in unloading the luggage and a woman in a navy blue suit approached with a wave.

"Welcome to Elbow Beach, Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael," she held her hand out to Sarah first and then took Chuck's.

"Chuck & Sarah please, we will be haunting this place for 2 weeks," Chuck shrugged.

"Chuck & Sarah, it is lovely to meet you. I am Leslie Kroger, Manager of Operations here at Elbow Beach and it is my pleasure to show you around your cottage."

Chuck smiled at the word cottage, before today that word evoked a small wooden structure with driftwood décor and mismatched curtains. This was no cottage he was standing in front of and that was further proven when they stepped through the front door.

The main room was a living room and dining room with vaulted ceilings and a fireplace. The room led out to a patio larger than their living room at home, with a table under an umbrella, two chaise lounges, a gas heater and a fire place.

"You are welcome to eat in the restaurants whenever you like, but you may also choose to have your meals here in the cottage any time. I took the liberty of setting up a light lunch, I know you have travelled quite a distance," she indicated the covered plates on the dining table.

"Thank you," Sarah nodded, impressed.

"It is our pleasure," Leslie moved through the big room to the master bedroom.

"Your master bedroom and bath look out over the water," she indicated as she pressed a button and the drapes at the end of the room retracted to reveal the ocean .

"Wow," Chuck inhaled.

"I admit it still takes my breath away," Leslie shrugged enjoying showing off their property.

Sarah flipped a light on in the 2 room bathroom to reveal stunning tile and stone features. A huge soaking tub and a stall shower easily big enough for a family of 4.

"You can fiddle with those switches, there are all sorts of settings for the lights, music, heated floors, towels and what not," Leslie indicated the panel near Sarah's hand.

"I might never leave the bathroom," Sarah giggled.

Chuck had moved to the sliding door and opened it to reveal a balcony, the call of sea birds light in the air.

"This should do," Chuck grinned.

"We repurposed the 2nd bedroom for you per your request Mr. Carmic… Chuck," Leslie corrected herself before Chuck could.

When Chuck booked the room he was asked if they needed the second bedroom, certain that he and Sarah were only planning to use one bed he said no. He got an email a couple days later asking if he would like the room repurposed as a library or a fitness room. He figured Sarah might like to work out and 2 weeks of vacation eating meant he probably should too.

"Repurposed?" Sarah asked.

Leslie led them out of the Master bedroom and down the hall to the 2nd bedroom. Chuck had imagined a treadmill and some free weights, but what he saw almost made his jaw drop. In front of a similar ocean view stood 2 elliptical machines facing the water, behind those a treadmill and a stationary bike. On the other side of the room was an area with mats, free weights, stability balls, resistance bands and more.

"You are more than welcome to use the resort's gym any time, but if you wish to stay in you should have everything you need here," Leslie said as she moved to the second full bath attached to this room.

This bathroom had similar features, but Sarah noted there was a small fridge with bottled water and a small towel warmer for hot towels.

"There is a portable massage table in this closet," Leslie opened the door to reveal the latest amenity. "Again, I hope you utilize the spa during your visit, but if you need it, you are welcome to the massage table."

"This is extraordinary," Chuck beamed.

"We pride ourselves on extraordinary," Leslie smiled right back.

"You have a small kitchenette here off the main room, Sam has stocked it for you with a few necessities, but if you make him a list he will happily go into town for you. I am sure he told you he is also available to escort you into town if you wish during your stay, but you can decide that at your leisure."

"Thank you," it seemed insufficient, but Chuck said it any way.

"You're welcome, my staff is fully at your service, I will be sure that they know who you are. You will be easy to recognize, you are both quite striking and clearly the couple in the most romantic cottage," Leslie smiled.

"This chatty welcome aside we will leave you in private, unless you call upon us. Enjoy your time with us," Leslie shook their hands again and she, Sam and the other bellman were gone, a golf cart ferrying them back to the main building.

"What do we do first?" Chuck said staring at the cottage in awe.

Sarah didn't answer him with words, she simply cupped his jaw and pulled his face to hers, kissing him soundly. She walked him back towards the master bedroom as she unbuttoned their shirts, going back and forth between his and her own uncertain which one she wanted off first.

"You sure you don't want to work out?" Chuck teased as he indicated the other bedroom turned gym.

"Different kind of work out in mind," Sarah mumbled as she focused on getting him out of his clothes.

"We could have lunch," Chuck offered.

Sarah just moved on to his belt.

"You must be hungry," he mentioned as they had not had a proper meal in almost 24 hours.

"Starving," she looked up at him with a glint in her eye.

Chuck knew she didn't mean food and he was about to point out that they had had sex twice since the last time they sat down to a meal, but just as he was about to articulate that thought her hand slipped into his boxers and he forgot how to speak. Instead he used his lips to trail wet kisses along her neck as they tried to make it all the way to the bed.

"This cottage is altogether too large," Sarah mock complained.

"Come here, I got you," he smiled against her skin as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way.

What had started off flustered and frantic turned achingly sweet and slow when they got to the bed. Chuck kissed and stroked every inch of her body as Sarah sunk into the gloriousness of their king sized bed. She gathered her strength when he was done to return the adoration and by the time they actually joined their bodies both of them were intensely attuned to the other.

"God," Sarah sighed as she arched her back and moved gently on top of him.

"This is…" Chuck looked at her tenderly.

"Perfect," she finished as his eyes fluttered shut against the pleasure and he nodded.

***555***

Chuck kissed Sarah for what felt like an hour when they finished, he seemed unwilling to break the connection they had. Sarah's stomach had other ideas though as it loudly announced it was not waiting any longer for food.

"Let me see if that lunch is still edible," he grinned against her lips as she winced at the loud noise in the quiet room.

"OK," she acquiesced and released him.

Chuck had to roll a couple times to get to the edge of the bed before his feet hit the floor and he went in search of his boxer shorts. He found the lunch on the dining table to be a lovely salad with an oil based dressing and grilled chicken that was certainly still fine to eat, he went to the kitchenette found a tray, some bottled water and additional napkins and piled it all up to deliver to his wife in bed.

Sarah had used the luxurious bathroom and opened a suitcase long enough to grab a tee shirt to throw on before returning to the giant bed with the amazing view. The amazing view got better when Chuck appeared in nothing but his boxers with a tray of food.

"This is what our train vacation was like. We had to keep forcing ourselves to stop and eat," Sarah remembered.

"The compartment service gentleman was amused by us," Chuck nodded as he placed the tray safely on the bed.

"And our actual honeymoon?"

"We lived on mini bar snacks for almost 2 days," Chuck grinned.

"So this level of activity is normal for us?" Sarah asked as she found a basket of rolls.

Chuck just nodded as he tried to sit on the bed without upsetting their lunch.

"I know we still need to talk through some things, but I really feel like every time we make love we are communicating. Is that stupid?" Sarah curled a leg under her body.

"Not stupid at all," Chuck reached out and tucked her hair behind one ear, ran his thumb lovingly over her cheek.

"I'm not using sex to avoid talking, it just feels so right," she covered his hand on her face with her own, turned her lips in to kiss his palm.

"We have 2 weeks to talk about anything and everything you want."

"Including Beckman?" Sarah arched an eyebrow.

"I would like to be wearing pants when we discuss the General, but sure," Chuck winced.

"Can today just be relaxing?" Sarah asked as she began digging into her salad.

"No heavy lifting today," Chuck promised.

"Thank you," Sarah said sincerely.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Your Hands in Mine P3

Sarah woke from her post lunch nap to the reassuring feel of Chuck's even breath against the back of her neck. She shimmied out of the bed without waking him and wandered around the cottage they were enjoying for the next 2 weeks. The kitchenette revealed several nice bottles of wine and she opened one without even thinking about what time it was, pouring a nice cold glass of Chardonnay.

She moved out to the large patio and curled up on a chaise lounge with her wine. The beach was such a full sensory experience as she smelled the salt, heard the waves crash, watched the birds swoop, felt the breeze and tasted the tinge of salt in the air when he licked her lips. This truly was a little piece of paradise they had here and she was so glad she was experiencing it. A chill ran through her body when she remembered just a couple weeks ago holding a gun to Chuck, feeling this awful conflict between her orders from Quinn and her heart. The look on his face as he was just going to let her shoot him, she had to shake it off, it was over, another thing they had survived together.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Chuck asked as he scratched his head and stretched his long body.

"Based on the accommodations I think you can spring for a lot more than a penny," she smirked over her shoulder as she admired her husband's body.

"Keep looking at me like that and we might not need all those clothes you insisted on packing," he smiled shyly, which was ridiculously cute considering how much time they had spent naked recently.

"Sit with me," Sarah offered as she scooted forward on the chaise and allowed Chuck to slide in behind her.

Sarah handed Chuck her glass of wine and he sipped happily as she reclined back against him.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Don't know, don't care," she took the wine back.

"Do you need anything?"

"Very soon I will need more of this wine, but for right now just sit here with me," she found his left hand and pulled his arm around her, their wedding rings side by side glinted in the sunlight.

"We could do this forever, maybe not this lavishly, but we have enough money to never have to work again," he said quietly.

"Just relaxing today, not talking about work," Sarah corrected him.

"Technically I am talking about not working which is different than talking about work," he babbled and she laughed in his arms.

"Still too much thought required, let's just enjoy this moment right now," she turned halfway in his arms and burrowed her face in his neck, inhaling the very perfect essence of him.

"OK," he relented.

She handed him the end of the wine which he finished with one long swallow.

"Want more?" he asked as he stroked her hair.

"Not yet," she held him tighter, not wanting him to leave yet.

"OK," he said again as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

***555***

When Chuck returned to their chaise lounge he had a blanket draped over his arm, the rest of the wine and a plate with what looked like cheese and crackers on it. He had also slipped on a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"Sam stocked us up well, but I ordered some dinner for an hour from now," he mentioned as he handed the plate to Sarah, placed the bottle of wine on the ground by the glass and draped the blanket over Sarah's bare legs.

"Thanks, baby," she smiled as he moved over to the gas fireplace on the patio and began fiddling with it.

"I wonder if this place has a User's manual," Chuck pondered.

"Like Castle?"

"It was a good thing I read that manual," Chuck smiled.

"Well just be careful, I really like it here and it would be a shame if you blew us up on our first day of vacation," Sarah teased as she ate a grape off the plate.

"I'll do my best," he shrugged.

Soon enough a nice fire was going, radiating just enough heat to counter the cooler air coming off the ocean, between that and the blanket and the wine and the mingled body heat Chuck & Sarah were plenty toasty.

"Tell me something I don't remember," Sarah said as Chuck rejoined her on the chaise and they awaited dinner.

"We went to your 10th high school reunion and you were reunion queen," Chuck grinned.

"No way. It is not cool to lie to the amnesiac, Chuck," Sarah replied in horror.

"Not lying and you have a slight memory problem, you are not an amnesiac," he shuddered at the word.

"I must have suffered a serious head trauma if I agreed to go to my high school reunion. Wait, what high school?" Sarah asked wondering if it was just a cover.

"James Buchanan Class of '98, go Cougars!" Chuck threw in an arm punch for good measure.

"I saw a file on Heather Chandler, were we there because of her?"

"Ultimately, although we didn't know that until you two got in a fight in the girls' locker room that made Carrie look like a children's story. "

"Was Casey the DJ?"

"Yes," Chuck laughed as he poured more wine into their shared glass.

"You brought me a cheeseburger, in my hotel room," Sarah realized.

"Yep, we shared a cheeseburger or two in that green & white room over the years."

"And chocolate croissants!"

"On many occasions," Chuck nodded.

"Mostly when I was sad over something, you brought them to cheer me up. You claimed the shop downstairs was out of fruit so you were…"

"…forced to get the chocolate croissants, you never believed me but always ate them."

"I loved you then," she admitted now both knowing it from the video logs and knowing it in her heart.

"I know."

"Did you know then?" she asked really not sure.

"I hoped. "

"I hurt you."

"I hurt you too, we've both come a long way."

"I'm seeing that, we don't have to go through it again," Sarah promised.

"Good, it was hard. It was hard to see you and work with you every day and want you so badly."

"And after we got together?"

"Everything just flowed. Sure we had our moments, we still made a few stupid decisions, mostly to protect the other one, but we were so much happier and it showed. Those years of denial were hard," Chuck sighed.

"I'm sorry," Sarah said earnestly.

"It's all in the past. We've apologized for it plenty. And there were good times in all of that, moments of fun, like your reunion and moments of romance. It shaped who we are, this is shaping who we are too, Sarah."

"I know," she nodded.

The sky turned an inky blue color over the water and they relaxed and listened to the waves they could no longer see. A tinkling doorbell roused them from their reverie and Chuck hopped up to retrieve dinner.

Sam wheeled the cart right out to the patio and turned on some gas torches to light the space better, he set the table quickly and quietly.

"I'll put the dessert in the refrigerator," he smiled and was gone.

"Thanks, Sam," Chuck called after him and he waved, stopping by the kitchen before leaving the cottage.

"I feel under-dressed," Sarah admitted as she stood from the chaise and the blanket dropped to reveal her bare legs.

"You look gorgeous," Chuck smiled.

Sarah smiled back and picked up the blanket, bringing it with her to the table and laying it over her lap. Chuck kissed her cheek before taking his place next to her and uncovering plates of delicious looking fish and vegetables and a crock of cheesy potatoes.

"Yum," Sarah's eyes got wide as Chuck uncorked yet another bottle of wine.

"Dig in," he encouraged as he poured.

***555***

"I am stuffed," Sarah announced as she pushed her plate away and leaned back to admire the stars.

"Me too, it was good though," Chuck reached over and took her hand in his and he too looked to the stars.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"You know how you aren't supposed to swim for 30 minutes after you eat?"

"Yeah?" he replied wondering where she was going with this.

"Do you think that is true for bathing as well?" she grinned and he could see a glint of her white teeth.

"I'm no expert, but I think it would be OK as long as you had adequate supervision."

"Like a buddy?"

"Yes, a bath buddy to make sure you didn't get a cramp or anything," Chuck clarified as he stood and began clearing the dishes and wheeling the cart back into the cottage.

Sarah extinguished the torches and fireplace and brought the wine and glasses into the cottage and directly to the bathroom. She fiddled with the control panel to get proper mood lighting, soft music and heated tile floors. She started the water in the giant soaking tub and began sniffing the various bubble options from the shelf behind the tub, she found one that was cedar and eucalyptus that smelled refreshing and not too girlie.

Chuck locked up the cottage soundly and turned off lights as he retraced his steps back to their bathroom. He walked towards the open door where Sarah stood next to the tub, one foot crossed in front of the other in some sort of ballet pose. She looked up and saw him, locked her eyes with his before she reached down and stripped the tee shirt up and off her body, leaving her completely naked in the soft dim light.

The air in the bathroom was getting damp from the steam off the tub, the scent of the bubble bath thick and heady, Sarah's beautiful body reacted to the stare of her husband.

"Come here," she said quietly and he was beside her in two long strides.

His clothes joined her tee shirt quickly and soon they were melting into the hot water together. The tub was actually big enough for Chuck's legs and they each claimed an end, facing each other across a pile of bubbles.

"I am not a man known for taking bubble baths, but I could get used to this," Chuck sighed.

"We just need a tub that is big enough for you and your very very long legs," she emphasized the repeated adjective by raking her nails over said legs under the water and watching as his eyes rolled back in his head. "You like that?" she asked.

"I like every way you touch me," he said honestly, bringing his eyes back into focus and looking at her intently.

Sarah had to force herself to break the gaze as she felt herself well up with emotion. She turned and retrieved the wine and their glasses and managed to pour them each a fresh glass of wine, handing Chuck his with a few bubbles stuck to the stem.

"I could get used to this," Sarah leaned back sipping her wine and running her toes along Chuck's ribs.

"Me too," he agreed, capturing one of her feet in his hand, rubbing her thumb along the instep.

"Nice," she stuttered and flexed her foot in his hands, encouraging his ministrations.

Chuck continued to hold his wine with one hand while massaging her foot with his other hand.

"Did your bachelor party involve a bubble bath?' Sarah asked as she remembered pieces of an odd conversation.

"You were in a bubble bath while I was getting ready for my bachelor party," Chuck corrected as he moved his hand from her foot to her calf.

"And you still went?" Sarah asked with a crooked smile.

"It was a difficult choice. In hindsight I should have stayed with you. So many things in my life would have been better if I had chosen to stay with you," Chuck placed the now empty wine glass on the shelf behind the tub and used both hands to massage Sarah's legs.

"Well, we're here now, in this beautiful place," she grinned and moved closer to him.

His wet hands found her hips under the bubbles and pulled her in tight, flush to his warm wet chest as his lips found hers.

***555***

"I think it is time for dessert," Chuck said as he padded across the cool floor of the master bedroom wrapped only in a towel.

"That wasn't dessert?" Sarah arched an eyebrow and hooked her thumb back towards the tub where they just had to clean up all the water they sloshed over the side.

Chuck blushed, but let his eyes roam over his wife who was wearing a lovely hotel robe and nothing else. The robe was barely tied shut and as she moved he was privy to various sexy peeks.

"There is actual dessert," Chuck clarified although his eyes were locked on Sarah's belly button which was visible just below the tie of her robe.

"I'd like some dessert," she said shyly and her tone of voice shocked him out of his haze.

"Sorry," he blushed again.

"It's OK, you get to stare, you're my husband."

"Thank God."

It was Sarah's turn to blush, he said the words with such sincerity, such adoration. She was amazed by how easy they telegraphed their feelings to each other, how blatant their love and lust were for each other.

"How did we ever survive before we were able to do this?" she asked as she closed the gap between them and pulled his face close to kiss him deeply.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Your Hands in Mine P4

Chuck came into consciousness on their first full day in Bermuda slowly. He stretched and felt the beautiful linens wrapped around his legs, he could tell the room was bright without even opening his eyes, he could smell the remnants of their bubble bath on his skin and then suddenly he could hear the soft muffled sound of crying.

"Sarah?" his head shot up from the fluffy pillow and turned towards his wife.

"Hey," she tried to cover with a quick smile, but it was obvious she was crying.

"What's the matter?" he asked cautiously.

"I just remembered Thailand, not just the funny giant blonde-she-male parts, but all of it: how terrified I was, how out of control, how close I came to failing," she tried to hold back the torrent of emotion she was feeling.

Chuck could see her trying to restrain herself, her shoulders quivering. He knew she wanted to be strong, it was her nature, but he hated to see her suffer so he slid over, found the opening in the hotel robe she had put back on and pulled her body close, opening her from the cocoon she had put herself in so he could hold her.

As soon as she let him hold her the floodgates opened and she sobbed against his bare shoulder. Chuck shut his eyes tight, hoping to give her some privacy and comfort at the same time. When she seemed to calm a little he pulled back, tears of his own on his cheeks.

"Do you remember what you said when you found me?" he wiped at her messy face as she nodded.

"That I was nothing but a spy without you and I wanted to marry you," her voice cracked on marry and the tears started again.

"I was so glad to see you, to know it was really you and not my stupid mind playing tricks on me," he looked in her watery blue eyes, "but you need to know this Sarah Walker, you were always more than a spy, with or without me. I may have helped you deal with your non-spy self better, I may have allowed you to explore being a normal girl, but you always were. Just look at what you did for Molly," he smiled.

"You make me feel so much," she accused with a half smile.

"I used to be a lot more closed off too, having both your parents walk away is hard, even after you understand why. You help me feel more too, express more."

"We were both kind of broken," Sarah shrugged one shoulder.

Chuck nodded and kissed her tear-stained face all over until she laughed.

"Not all your recovered memories are going to be funny or sexy, some of them are going to be painful, literally and figuratively," he stroked her delicate cheek which he had seen bloody and bruised more often than he would like.

"I know," she inhaled deeply and blew out a calming breath.

Chuck was rubbing circles on her back through the robe and decided it would be much more soothing to do the same to her bare back, so he peeled the robe off her body as he reclined back against the pillows, pulling her on top of him and finding a cool sheet to cover them.

"Go back to sleep," he murmured against her ear.

***555***

When Chuck woke the second time Sarah was sitting on top of him, fully dressed. Jeans and a light weight blue sweater, her hair in a ponytail and the barest trace of make-up on.

"You are way over-dressed for bed," he turned his face into the pillow.

"And you are way too lazy," she pinched his bare side.

"Ow! Vacation, remember?" he turned his face the other way into the pillow.

"Paradise, remember? Let's go see it."

"Can't be more beautiful than you in this bed," he said with his eyes still shut and a dreamy look on his face.

"There is coffee and breakfast and I unpacked," Sarah started listing.

"How long have you been up?"

"Couple hours."

"What time is it?" he squinted his eyes open again.

"Almost noon, and it is sunny and beautiful out. Take me to the beach?"

Chuck leaned up on his elbows and Sarah ran her hands along his chest before settling them on his face and pulling him up further for a kiss.

"We can actually see the beach from here," Chuck pointed out as he looked over Sarah's shoulder to the ocean beyond.

"But I'm a toes in the sand kind of girl," she said and Chuck's eyes got big.

"I've told you that before?"

"Yes, Morgan and I were working on a 'toes in the sand' dream home search. He gave it an acronym," Chuck smiled as Sarah worked it out.

"Nice," she frowned.

"He meant well, anyway that was when you told me about your real dream home.'

"Ah," Sarah nodded the white house with the red door making more sense now.

"Yeah," Chuck closed his mouth into a grim line.

They hadn't talked about the little white house yet and Chuck was not ready to do so now, so he sat up further, looping his arms around Sarah's waist and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Get dressed," she said with weakening resolve as his hands found a tiny patch of skin where her sweater had ridden up.

"I'm pretty sure I could get you undressed faster," he let his hand skitter around to the button of her jeans.

"I have no doubt and while you present a very compelling argument for remaining in this really nice bed the reality is if we were just going to stay in bed we could have vacationed in Barstow," Sarah laughed.

Chuck was so happy to hear her laugh after hearing her cry earlier.

"OK, OK. I will get up, but that sand better feel amazing between my toes," he pointed a long finger at her and then poked her nose.

***555***

They left their shoes and long sleeve layers on one of the yellow beach chairs, the sun was warm enough for bare arms and bare feet. They moved in and out of the ocean's path, from warm pink sand to cool wet sand with the occasional gentle wave tickling their toes.

Elbow Beach was so named for its spot on the crook of the island, so they abandoned their belongings and followed the winding shore as far as they could go before a rock face forced them to stop. Chuck hopped up on a good sized flat rock and reached down to help Sarah.

They laid back, side by side, the warmth from the rock transferred to their backs, their hands behind their heads and watched as the gulls flew overhead.

"They are very pretty," Sarah noted.

"Longtails, named for their, well, long tail," Chuck grinned.

"Insightful, Mr. Bartowski."

"They live in the rocks, much less annoying than your standard seagull," he continued.

"Someone did some Googling," Sarah teased.

"And that," he listened intently, "is a Kiskadee. They are yellowish green, pretty."

Sarah looked about at the rocks and trees behind them.

"There," she pointed and they saw the pretty bird perched and scouting for something.

"Nice," Chuck smiled.

"This is nice," Sarah took one hand from behind her head and reached over to trail her fingers along Chuck's temple.

"We seem drawn to the ocean," Chuck ventured.

"Nothing makes you feel more vulnerable," she sat up to take in the object of her thoughts.

"It is daunting," he joined her.

"I like the way it makes me feel insignificant," Sarah admitted.

"I think I understand that, after the last few years, it is nice to have nature put you in your place when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"I don't want you to feel that way, Chuck. If the Intersect is going to put you in danger and cause you stress and pain… wait, are you having problems with this one?" Sarah remembered the tooth all of a sudden.

"I haven't flashed much, but no it hasn't hurt or caused any nightmares," he promised her.

"Good," she kissed his temple as he sat up to join her, wrapping his arm around hers and inching his hips closer.

"We have 2 weeks to talk about work and the Intersect, right now, let's just enjoy this amazing view," he said, but his eyes weren't on the water in front of them, but rather on his wife.

"View's that way," she smiled as she took his chin in her hand and shifted it.

"Oh," he said with a grin, "that's pretty too."

"I'm going in," Sarah declared as she pulled her tee shirt off to reveal a bikini top.

"The ocean? Sarah, it's February," he grimaced.

"It's beautiful out and the water isn't that cold," she rationed as she shimmied out of her jeans.

"I'll keep the rock warm for you," he grinned.

As Sarah went to pull off her jeans she stopped.

"Did we have to strip outside for a mission once?" she asked.

"Yes, that wasn't actually very long ago. We were tracking a computer virus and the man that developed it belonged to a cult that had an aversion to clothing," Chuck explained.

"That must have been hard for you," Sarah smiled softly and Chuck was happy that she seemed to know him, really know him and his quirks.

"It was made worse by the fact that our back up was Gertrude Verbanski, that woman is hyper-critical about everything," Chuck raised his eyebrows.

"Well there is nothing to criticize," Sarah reached out and ran a hand along his thigh.

"She had a little fun with me," Chuck shrugged.

"Sure you don't want to join me?" Sarah cocked her head towards the water.

"You have fun, " he grinned.

"Suit yourself," she sighed and hopped off the rock.

Chuck watched her move towards the water, her hips swaying in the tiny blue bathing suit. She reached up and pulled the hair tie from her hair, it was still too short for his liking, but longer than it had been as it fell around her shoulders. She didn't hesitate when she reached the water, walking up to her mid thighs before diving under and emerging a few feet further out.

He watched as she moved gracefully through the waves, popping up like a mermaid or a selkie, her hair darker wet but still glinting in the sun.

Sarah swam a bit before flipping on to her back, letting the sun warm her face and stomach as she floated. She felt free and light and happy. It felt good after the shock of the emotion that accompanied her memories of Thailand. She had no idea what triggered the memories, especially after such a wonderful evening with Chuck the night before, but she woke up and they were there sitting on her, crushing her.

Chuck was birdwatching and when he looked back Sarah was closer to shore, only about knee deep in the water. She caught his eye and waved, he waved back and then she beckoned him to join her, pointing into the water. Intrigued he hopped up and jogged to the edge.

"Fish," she explained.

"Cold," he replied.

"Wimp," she countered.

He sighed and bent down to roll up his jeans. Sarah chuckled at the end result that looked an awful lot like Huck Finn. The water wasn't as cold as Chuck feared and as he approached he could see the colors swirling around Sarah's legs, tons of tiny tropical fish.

"You found Nemo," he smirked.

"And a lot of his friends."

Chuck reached out and took Sarah's hands in his own and they watched the fish swim around their legs until their toes were pruned. They returned to their rock, still sun-warmed and stretched out so Sarah could dry off, Chuck rolled to his side and traced random patterns on her stomach as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Want to eat in the restaurant tonight?" Sarah asked lazily.

"Sure," he looked up towards her face.

"We haven't actually had a date since the beach," Sarah pointed out.

Chuck was both happy and sad that "the beach" was a point of reference, especially when they were currently on a beach.

"True," he agreed.

"I feel like getting dressed up."

"Really, because I like what you have on now," he replaced his fingers on her stomach with his lips.

"You'll see me in this plenty. Less than this too," she promised.

"Sarah, I have seen you in nothing, in a wedding dress, in a belly dancer's outfit and a nurse's uniform. I have seen you in haute couture and your Weinerlicious outfit and you are always the most beautiful person in any room, always," Chuck said honestly.

Sarah looked at him lovingly, "A nurse's uniform?"

"Mission."

"Oh good," she laughed.

***555***

"Dinner's at 8:00 and I made an appointment to get my nails done at 4:00," Sarah announced as she joined Chuck on the patio.

They had stopped at the beach club and grabbed sandwiches and cocktails for lunch and he had arranged them on the table under the umbrella.

"Great," he smiled up at her.

Sarah's hair was curly and beachy from her swim, the little make up she had put on long gone and the tiniest tinge of pink stretched across her nose and cheeks.

"I'm glad we did this," he said as he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Me too," she nodded.

"I love Morgan and my sister, but we need this time alone, just to be…"

"…normal?"

"Not sure normal is achievable for us, but even just to be us, whatever that is," Chuck shrugged.

"Us is pretty good, right?" Sarah asked, certain she was right.

"Us is very good," Chuck kissed her.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Your Hands in Mine P5

Sarah returned to the cottage with a spring in her step and very pretty finger and toe nails.

"Chuck!" she called as she let herself into the cottage.

No sign of him in the living room, so she poked her head out on the patio which was empty as well.

"Chuck!" she called again looking for a note.

She had asked him to stay close to the cottage with his panic button handy. There had been no indication of trouble at the resort, but for the 90 minutes she was gone she wanted him to lay low. Now she couldn't seem to find him and her heart rate sped up a bit.

She entered the bedroom thinking maybe he had decided to take a nap and she heard some music coming from the bathroom.

"Hello there," she smiled as she met his eyes over the top of a pile of bubbles.

Her tall, gorgeous nerd of a husband was taking his second bubble bath in 24 hours.

"Hello. It is official, we are getting a giant bathtub," he lifted a foot and wiggled the bubbles off of it.

"You look adorable," she smirked.

"I am adorable," he nodded in agreement.

"I was worried when I couldn't find you, I will remember to start any future searches with the bathtub," she grinned.

"I read for a while and then I actually used our private gym and after a run I thought I deserved a bath and a glass of wine," he explained.

"That is how I always wind down after a workout."

"How was the spa?"

"Magical. I scheduled massages for us later this week, they have this couple's suite, very private and lovely," she sat on the edge of the tub.

"Whatever you want, babe."

"Are you always so agreeable?"

"Most of the time, but I stood up to you once."

"Oh?"

"When we first got engaged, you wanted to elope."

"I can believe that," Sarah nodded knowing her own issues with public expressions of feelings and large family events.

"We had just gotten my mom home and Ellie had just had Clara and even though I always want to give you everything you want that was just too much for me."

"I know we didn't elope, so how did we resolve it?"

"Well, first you wore the belly dancer outfit and tried to seduce me into agreeing and then you finally told me why you were concerned and we talked through it."

"Is that when you found the CAT Squad?"

"Yes, I had read about them and thought they would make you feel more comfortable. It was both a great idea and a terrible idea," Chuck admitted.

"I read the file, I can't believe Amy was the mole, she always was too perky."

"Well, you and Zondra were getting close again, you should reach out to her when we get home."

"I will," Sarah said as she reached out to trace a pattern in the bubbles on Chuck's chest.

"There is room in here for two," Chuck waggled his eye brows.

"Oh, I remember, but I already showered and blew out my hair earlier, I am not doing that again."

***555***

"Sarah, Sam's here to drive us over to dinner," Chuck called through the closed bathroom door.

"Be right there," she called and he could hear the click of her heels on the tile floor.

Chuck realized he forgot his watch and reached for it on the dresser as Sarah emerged from the bathroom. He looked up and dropped the watch at his feet.

"Uh…wow," Chuck breathed the words more than spoke them.

"You like this dress?" Sarah asked coyly as she turned around to give him the full view of the knee-length black and white silk dress.

The dress had the tiniest straps that seemed to defy gravity and it had that silky shimmer that made you want to touch it. Sarah's hair, which she had blown out earlier had curled slightly in the ocean air and she had snipped a pink flower from the arrangement on the dining room table and pinned it behind one ear. Her make-up was perfect and her strappy black sandals made her almost as tall as Chuck.

"Did you say something?" Chuck asked as he blinked slowly.

"Do you like the dress?" Sarah said slowly as she walked up to him, crouched down delicately and picked up his watch.

"Yes, yes I do," he nodded.

"Good," she smiled as she took his hand, turned it so she could feel his pulse, a little faster than normal.

She slipped the watch over his hand, clasped it.

"I've done this before," she looked at the watch, "after Shaw."

"Our second run in with Shaw, yes," Chuck frowned and turned his hand in hers, squeezed it.

"Not tonight," she shook off the sad memory.

"Let's go," he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

Sam was waiting by the car.

"Sarah, you look lovely," he opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Sam."

"You clean up pretty well too," Sam winked at Chuck who grinned back.

"You do," Sarah agreed as Chuck slid into the back seat of the car.

"Thanks," Chuck grinned, his charcoal gray suit and crisp white shirt fit him beautifully, the blue of his tie not dissimilar from the ocean earlier in the day.

Chuck lifted an arm and Sarah slid against his side for the short ride over to the main resort restaurant, as the car slowed to a halt Chuck kissed her forehead, hopped out and beat Sam to the door to help Sarah out.

"Just let someone know when you are ready to head back," Sam smiled.

The restaurant was not busy, but Chuck and Sarah were not the only ones there either, a few folks who appeared to be from the conference Sam mentioned and some large parties that might have been Bermudians celebrating special occasions dotted the circular room.

"Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael, right this way," the hostess smiled as Chuck and Sarah approached.

Leslie had mentioned on arrival that everyone would know them and Sarah had to admit that as a spy it was kind of off-putting, but as a wife it felt great.

If one could have a secluded table in the middle of a large room, Chuck and Sarah did. It was on the far side by a window that looked out over the beach, some torches illuminating the sand and sparkling against the water. No one was seated anywhere near them, and the small table was set so they sat nearly side-by-side facing the window.

Again Sarah instinctually hated having her back to the room, but when she felt Chuck shift in his chair so his knee touched hers she forgot all about that. They ordered cocktails and before they even touched their menus Chuck took Sarah's hand, kissed her knuckles and held it.

"It's strange, getting my memories back kind of out of order," Sarah began quietly, leaning close to Chuck, "I keep remembering you at different times over the past five years and you've changed so much."

"All I really did was cut my hair," Chuck grinned.

"Not true, your body is different, you were so gangly in the beginning."

"Yes, I guess I was a bit of a wet noodle, but then you made me start exercising."

"Oh, I get credit for this? Excellent," she smirked knowing it was his transition from asset to agent.

"I don't feel like I changed all that much."

"That's my point, if I remembered it truly chronologically over a five year period I am sure your transition was more subtle. Like the memory I just had when I put your watch on, your hair was longer than now, but shorter than when we found Ellie's engagement ring in the dumpster," Sarah explained.

Chuck nodded.

"Don't get me wrong, you were as sexy then as you are now and you are as adorable now as you were then, it was all always you Chuck, it's like watching a slide show out of order," she lifted a shoulder in a shrug and he leaned over and placed a soft kiss to the bare skin there.

"Your cocktails," the waitress arrived and paced the beautiful drinks on the table, she looked at the untouched menus and the couples joined hands, "I'll give you some more time with the menus."

"Oh, right, food," Chuck smiled at Sarah.

They finally did order, sharing bites of local favorites and fresh vegetables grown at the resort's greenhouse. They drank an entire bottle of wine, after their cocktails and they both felt so relaxed. Sarah had her ocean swim and mani/pedi, Chuck a run and a bubble bath, they had started with cocktails at lunch and by the end of dinner Sarah was giggling at a story Chuck was telling about Morgan using amateur spy craft to bug Ellie's 16th birthday party.

"She knew?"

"Oh yeah, she knew," Chuck laughed, "she scripted every word she and her friends said to make Morgan think she was going to ask him to her prom. It was both mean and brilliant."

"Poor Morgan," Sarah smiled, her silly smile that wrinkled her nose.

"He got over it, and he eventually found himself a real girl."

"Oh, who?" Sarah asked.

"Alex," Chuck said with a confused look, afraid Sarah had forgotten again.

"Chuck, it's 17 years later, I hope he was over Ellie a long time ago," Sarah's jaw dropped as she remembered a couple of awkward meals in her early days of being Chuck's cover girlfriend.

Chuck knew she remembered, "Yeah, not that long ago."

"It's sweet," she argued.

"It is cute when your 9 year old friend likes your 13 year old sister, it is creepy when your 26 year old friend still likes your 30 year old sister."

Chuck could see the waitress approaching.

"I know surprises aren't your thing, but I have a little something up my Hugo Boss sleeve, trust me?" Chuck grinned.

"Sure," Sarah nodded hoping it wasn't a singing telegram or anything else embarrassing.

"Can I get you anything else this evening? " the waitress looked at Chuck. Sarah could see them communicating silently, the waitress wasn't flirting she was plotting with her husband.

"No, thank you, we're all set," Chuck smiled.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening," the waitress grinned broadly and patted Sarah on the shoulder.

"I can't wait to get under that very well-tailored sleeve and find out what is going on," Sarah leaned close to him, his body warm against hers.

Chuck stood, slipped a hundred dollar bill under his wine glass for the waitress and offered Sarah a hand, she steadied herself against him more out of desire than necessity and he slipped a long arm around her waist to guide her out of the dining room that was now practically empty. The few remaining diners couldn't help but watch Chuck and Sarah though.

Sam was waiting right where he had left them, the waitress having radioed him and he had them back to the cottage in no time. Chuck unlocked the door and let Sarah in ahead of him, before he could reveal his surprise though she had him pinned back against the now closed door, her hands under his jacket smoothing over the white shirt that was now soft and smelled like Chuck.

She kissed him so deeply, his own hands sliding deliciously along the silk of her dress. When they finally had to break for air, Chuck smiled widely.

"You haven't even seen the surprise yet?"

"I don't need big romantic gestures Chuck, I just need you," she assured him.

"I know, but I really like the big romantic gestures," he shrugged and stepped out of her embrace reluctantly, taking her hand and leading her through the dining room.

On the patio the fireplace and torches were lit and accented with a bunch of delicate white twinkle lights. There was more wine, chilled, and a tray of the most delicious looking tiny desserts in delicate yellows and pinks with real flowers scattered between them. Sarah then noticed the chaise lounges were gone and the result was a nice clear patch of floor perfect for…

"Care to dance?" Chuck asked as he hit a button and soft music filtered through unseen speakers.

She moved into his arms, much too close for dancing, and kissed him again before settling into a more comfortable dance position.

"I like this kind of surprise," she admitted.

"Good," he kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.

One achingly sweet song led into another and they danced for a long time, not talking, just feeling their hearts beat close to each other. They had spent a lot of time since the day at the beach that Sarah trusted Chuck enough to kiss him, close to each other physically, but this felt different, it felt content. There was no need for words or physical expressions of love, just being close was all they needed. Well, that and dessert.

"Those desserts look really good," Sarah mentioned as Chuck turned them so they were in her line of sight.

"A variety of lemon and raspberry cakes and mousse," he described.

"Yum," she all but purred.

He let go of her body, but followed her close behind as she moved to the table and contemplated which one she was going to have first.

"Tiny desserts are kind of my favorite," Chuck admitted.

"Of course, because then you can have a whole bunch of different things instead of one giant piece of something," Sarah explained.

"Exactly. I want this one first," he picked up a tiny shortbread crust with perfectly piped lemon mousse inside it, a sliver of candied lemon rind on top.

Sarah watched him pop the one bite treat into his mouth and his eyelids fluttered the same way they did when she kissed him in just the right spot.

"Good?' she giggled.

"So good," he moaned.

He picked up another one of the same and held it out to her, feeding her so she could experience the same delight he had. Sarah had to smile at how generous he was, in every possible way. She also had to agree with how good the dessert was as the delicate shortbread melted under her tongue, buttery and sweet against the tart lemon.

Between each round of dessert she insisted on kissing him, tasting the dessert again on his tongue. By the time they got to the last of the tiny pastries it was well past midnight and the wine, dancing and dessert make-out session had all settled into a warm ball of desire in Sarah's stomach. She reached for Chuck's tie, pulled him close as she backed up to the table. She didn't have to give him any more hints as he reached down and trailed his fingers under the hem of her short silk dress.

He carefully pulled the dress up and off her body leaving her in the most perfect contrast of porcelain skin and black lace underthings.

The air was cool against her newly uncovered skin, but the fireplace, the wine and Chuck's warm hands countered that fine. Sarah perched on the table and invited Chuck in between her legs so she could remove his tie and jacket before slowly unbuttoning each button on his shirt.

"This was a good date," he stuttered as her hands moved to his belt.

"A really good date," Sarah confirmed as her fingers moved over the zipper.

"I feel like it might end up getting even better," he grinned.

Sarah just nodded, a brilliant smile on her face as she wrapped her legs around Chuck's waist.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Your Hands in Mine P6

Author's Notes: Thanks again for the lovely reviews, glad people are enjoying Bermuda. This chapter is a lot of sex. I kept it "T" rated, but fair warning, it is a lot of sex.

***555***

"Oh God, that was…I can't…oh G-god," Sarah stuttered and clutched at the sheets as Chuck kissed his way back up her body.

"Are you OK with the rain now?" he giggled against her neck as his fingers trailed over her heated skin.

Sarah had woken Chuck earlier with the sad news that it was gray and rainy and looked like it might stay that way.

"Let it rain," she blew out a breath as her heart rate returned to normal.

"We can do this all day," he promised as he kissed from her neck along her collar bone to her breasts.

"What if I get bored?" Sarah asked and sounded so serious, but when Chuck looked up he saw the glint in her eye.

"I will try my best to keep you sufficiently entertained," Chuck mocked.

"Thanks," she laughed.

"We could go in to town," Chuck said honestly as he kissed back up to her ear.

"Mmmm, we could," she agreed half-heartedly as her toes curled into the mattress once his tongue slipped between his teeth and found her ear lobe.

"Or venture up to the main building and explore," his breath tickled at her ear and although she had just been completely undone by him moments before she felt her body reacting to these simple actions.

"I want to explore you," she turned and found his lips with her own, rolling him on to his back.

"There's not much to discover," Chuck flung his arms and legs out, naked in the muted light of the rainy morning he was all shadow and light.

"I beg to differ," Sarah said seriously as she engaged her mouth and hands to investigate thoroughly.

***555***

Sarah collapsed against his chest, he could feel her heart racing through her smooth back.

"Good?" he managed between his own shortened breath.

"So good," she whispered against his skin and he twitched beneath her.

He wrapped his arms and legs around her but still felt her shiver as the air of the room hit her damp skin as she cooled. Using his long legs and giant feet he managed to retrieve the blanket s they had shoved to the foot of the massive bed and get them close enough to reach without moving too much from the spot they had nestled in.

"Rest?" he seemed capable of only one word sentences.

Sarah nodded against his chest even less able to communicate after the hours of shared pleasure.

Sarah was no sex expert, but she was a fitness expert and she was pretty sure what they just did was the sex equivalent of interval training: work your heart rate up and then back off and work it up again. In cardio training it results in a greater calorie burn, but in bed it results in some extremely mind-blowing orgasms.

Chuck cocooned them in the soft sheets and duvet, leaving Sarah right where she landed on top of him. He could feel the moment sleep overtook her and her weight relaxed slightly on top of him. He wanted to sleep too, his body called for it, but his mind raced.

Sarah seemed more and more like herself with every passing minute that they were together. He knew she still didn't have her full memory back and he wondered if she ever would, but he felt like she had her self back in many ways. Chuck tried not to let doubt wiggle in though, Sarah was a world class spy, was she showing Chuck just what she thought he wanted to see, was she as happy with him as she appeared or was she just trying to make him happy.

Sarah was always her most open and vulnerable with him in bed, the least guarded the most free and they had spent a lot of time in bed since the beach. Chuck had memorized every moment they had shared in bed before Quinn and reviewing every moment since it all adds up, she is the same Sarah. Every day he is more and more certain that memories or not, this is the woman he loves in his arms.

With that knowledge safe in his heart, his mind finally slowed down enough to let him join her in sleep.

***555***

"Tell me about the best sex we ever had?" Sarah asked as Chuck moved over her , their bodies joined for a countless time on their rainy day in Bermuda.

"I'm pretty sure we are having it now," he smirked.

"Present vacation notwithstanding," she leaned up and captured his lips.

"Macau," he replied breathlessly after the kiss.

"We robbed a bank," she remembered.

"Yes we did,' he nodded as he lowered his body closer to hers and slowed their pace.

"You stood on the counter, it made you even more incredibly tall," she arched under him.

"And you guarded the stairs with a semi-automatic," he groaned as the memories came back to him.

"You were wearing a long coat and a perfect suit, you looked so g-g-good," she caught her breath as Chuck's memories intensified his movements.

"You had on a black cat suit and your hair was so long and blonde and mmmm," Chuck nuzzled against her neck as he remembered what happened when they left Vivian Volkoff in her secured room for the evening.

"I remember," Sarah promised as her nails clung to his back.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she assured him as she sucked on his neck in his absolute favorite spot, a spot even Chuck didn't know about until Sarah found it that night in Macau.

The feel of her lips and teeth against the tender flesh there was enough to re-energize Chuck.

"More…." was all Sarah could get out before he scooped her up and changed positions to give her just that.

***555***

"It's almost dinner time," Sarah mentioned as Chuck slowly emerged from sleep.

His response was a very proud grin. With the exception of a couple trips to the bathroom and one run to the kitchen for some food they had spent the entire rainy day in bed.

"No sense getting dressed now," he laughed and curled around her body, kissing the underside of her jaw until she purred.

"Mmmmm, true, but I could be convinced to take a shower," Sarah mentioned casually.

Despite its size, Chuck & Sarah had not shared the shower yet, but instantly images of a wet Sarah, with her hair plastered to her neck and her hands splayed on the tile in front of them bombarded Chuck and his body impressed him with its continued response. Chuck was used to images washing over him from the Intersect, but this was different, this was like a perfect dream that was about to come true.

"Let's go," Chuck flipped the blankets back and hopped out of bed.

Sarah watched him stride across the room, still dimmed by the continued rain, but his smile was so bright it almost surpassed anything Mother Nature could provide. She couldn't help but slide her tired body from the bed and follow him.

Chuck had the lights on fairly bright and was fiddling with the music.

"Too bright," Sarah cringed a bit.

"I want to see you," he said and his voice was so deep, scratchy from sleep and exertion and still tender.

Sarah thought her legs might give out under her as she leaned back against the wall, the tiles cold against her bare skin, but needing the support to stay upright. She watched as he finished programming the music and moved to the shower itself, turning on the showerheads, all 4 of them, full strength and hot enough to steam up the glass walls instantly.

Sarah pushed off the wall and walked towards him as he held the door open for her, she kissed him deeply first and then stepped in to the heavenly massage of water. They were both tall enough that the water was hitting along their shoulders and backs, soothing the muscles they had exerted all day. When they were warm and the pulsing water had done its job at relaxing them Chuck adjusted the flow down to a more gentle rain effect and used his fingers on Sarah's back instead.

"Nice," she nipped at the warm wet skin of his shoulder as he held her close and ran his hands the full length of her spine.

After a couple of passes up and down her back he let his hands go further, cupping her bottom and encouraging her thigh around his hip. Although his earlier vision included Sarah facing the wall, he now wanted to see the look on her face, so he lifted her, effortlessly, and moved towards the tile closest to them in the cavernous shower.

Sarah moaned as the cool tile once again struck her now hot skin, but once Chuck pressed his body to her front she was loving the contrast of hot and cold, soft and hard that seemed to surround her, fill her.

"I thought we were taking a break," Sarah teased, but felt Chuck still his movements.

"Sorry," he said, his face awash with contradiction.

He looked both sorry and not, both serious and not, both concerned and not. Sarah could actually see him fighting his baser urges right in front of her.

"I'm kidding Chuck, please don't stop," she turned his face with a hand to his chin to look him in the eye.

He kissed her then, long and slow and deep as he moved slowly against her body, she clung to him in all the necessary and delightful spots and whimpered when he wrenched his mouth away to breathe.

"Marry me," he said surprisingly before he kissed her again.

Sarah pulled back this time, well as much as she could while pinned to the shower wall.

"We are married Chuck, see rings and all," she slipped her left hand from the wet hair on the back of his head to his line of vision.

"Again, here, marry me," he said without further explanation before his body took over and ended any thought of conversation.

They had dried each other off after the shower, taking care to gently caress each spot with the soft thick towels. Sarah took a towel to Chuck's short hair leaving it slightly askew as she tied hers up in a towel on top of her head. They both slipped into hotel robes and padded out to the kitchen in search of food.

"Were you serious?" Sarah asked over a glass of wine and some smoked salmon on crackers.

"Yes," he said, his eyes full of love knowing exactly what she was asking.

Sarah sipped her wine and nodded.

"Sarah, I am not discounting our first wedding and I am so happy you remember it, but I want to have something that is just us, that is a celebration of what we just survived."

"If we got married every time we overcame something dangerous we would need to have a justice of the peace on retainer," she smirked, but didn't seem opposed to the idea.

"I'd be OK with that. I want to always remind you of my devotion to you Sarah, I would vow to love you and keep you safe every day of my life if I needed to."

"You don't though. I know it. In my heart, I know it. My head knows it now too and my body cannot seem to forget it," she smiled almost shyly as her stomach fluttered at the thought.

"It never hurts to say it out loud," Chuck shrugged, he was a talker after all.

"OK."

"OK?"

"OK. You want to get married again here in Bermuda how could I possibly not want that?" she smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes. As long as you don't think we need to do this because we are fractured. We aren't, we are really solid Chuck, I feel more certain about you than anything ever in my entire world, but if you want to celebrate what we have, how could I not want that?"

"I love you, very much," he kissed her cheek.

"It seems I am finally getting my way," Sarah grinned and turned her lips in to his kiss.

"How's that?" he arched an eyebrow.

"We are finally eloping after all," she laughed.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

Your Hands in Mine P7

Day 4 in paradise was back to sunny and bright, after their very leisurely day in bed during the rain, Sarah and Chuck were up early and eating a big breakfast that had been delivered to their cottage. They had an afternoon planned at the spa and Sarah already intended to hit the ocean for a quick swim first so she sat in her bikini and shorts with the sun on her nearly bare back as she enjoyed her omelet.

"Did I get the sunscreen everywhere?" Chuck asked as he looked at her skin.

"I think I am well-coated, yes," she grinned at him.

"I could do another coat, just to be safe," he offered.

She just giggled at him. Their silly exchange was interrupted by the buzz of Chuck's phone.

The big man on the display was a surprise to Chuck, but not unpleasantly so.

"Hey Casey," Chuck answered and looked at Sarah with a question on his face.

"Hey, Bartowski, I know you guys are on vacation and I do not want to know what I am interrupting, but I wanted you to know we got him," Casey said quickly.

"We're eating breakfast. Wait, got who?" Chuck asked.

"Quinn's guy, we got him in London. You're safe, for now any way," Casey grumbled.

"Wow, thanks Casey, but I didn't even know you were still working for Beckman."

"In case you haven't noticed it is really hard to not work for that woman," Casey grunted.

"I am familiar with the concept, yes. Will we see you stateside any time soon?"

"I promised Alex I would get there in a couple months. How's Walker?" Casey asked.

Chuck would be annoyed that Casey insisted on calling his wife by her former last name, but with Casey it was clearly a term of endearment. The relationship between his wife and her former partner was one of the most unique and genuine he had ever known between colleagues.

"Good, want to say hi?" Chuck didn't give him a chance to answer as he handed the phone to a slightly nervous looking Sarah.

"Hi Casey," she began.

"Hey, Walker, how are you?" his voice softened.

"I'm doing well, thanks. Getting my memories back in bits and pieces."

"Bartowski driving you nuts yet?"

Sarah grinned, that sounded like the Casey she was remembering, "He's been great."

"Good. I'm glad."

"Let us know when you are in California."

"I will," and with that he was gone.

"So no more protection detail. I just confirmed with Beckman," Chuck had retrieved his laptop while Sarah talked to Casey.

"Great," Sarah smiled relieved.

"Now back to these crepes," Chuck grinned and dove into his breakfast.

***555***

"The suite is yours for the afternoon. No one will enter without calling first, make yourselves comfortable. Your massage is scheduled for 3:00 right through here," the massage therapist opened a door to an adjoining room.

"Wonderful," Sarah smiled.

"Robes and towels," she opened a large armoire to reveal lots of soft plush items.

Chuck smiled and nodded.

"Refreshments," she indicated a table of light snacks, water, tea and juice, "if you want to order anything further just pick up the phone."

"Sounds perfect," Sarah couldn't stop smiling.

"I'll see you next door in a couple of hours," the woman smiled back and left.

Sarah didn't say anything after the woman left, but Chuck could tell how delighted she was as she moved over and poured a cup of water from the crystal decanter. She sipped the water slowly as her perceptive eyes took in the accommodations.

Chuck crossed his arms and watched his wife take in the room, the private hot tub, the love seat sized chaise lounge, the glass walled shower and wood-paneled sauna. She walked to a vanity and sat for a moment smelling different lotions and scrubs before moving again over to the large chaise and stretching out.

"Come here," she whispered and Chuck moved smoothly to the other side of the chaise.

He joined her and instantly they moved in unison on to their sides facing each other. They curled their knees in and wiggled to get closer to the other.

"I like it here," she whispered again.

"I can tell," he whispered back.

"Thank you for bringing me here."

"I'll take you anywhere you want to go Sarah," he wiggled the last few inches so he could pull her into his arms, their legs tangling together.

***555***

Chuck and Sarah had moved from the chaise to the Jacuzzi, from the Jacuzzi to the sunny private deck, from the deck to the sauna and back to the Jacuzzi.

"We should shower," Chuck mentioned as he nuzzled her warm damp neck.

"Yeah," Sarah said breathlessly as she tilted her head to give him better access.

Chuck finally extricated his lips from her body and wiggled out from under her. He stood and stretched and reached a hand down to help her up. He handed her a towel and they padded across the room to the shower. It was as nice as the one in their cottage and Chuck fiddled with the controls to get the temperature and water flow just right.

Sarah took a face cloth and added some of the liquid shower gel. She inhaled deeply and loved the clean oceany scent that was not too flowery for her big tall man.

"Can I?" she held the cloth up as an offering.

"Sure," Chuck said quietly.

She turned him and began with his back, rubbing the soapy cloth along his strong shoulders and down the sinewy lines of his back, over his ass before she crouched down to reach his thighs. Chuck had to hold on to the wall in front of him as Sarah stroked one thigh while using the other as leverage, her fingers curling around it.

The water cascaded off his back as Sarah placed a warm wet kiss on the back of his knee, nearly buckling his legs. She moved around in front of him, with the wall at her back now and worked her way up the front of his legs. When she stood to reach his chest she pressed her body against his the whole way up, earning a sexy moan that echoed off the tile in the most delicious way.

Sarah leaned back enough to get the wash cloth between them, up over Chuck's abs and around the counters of his chest to his shoulders again. She reached in closer, pressing herself fully against him to work the cloth around to the back of his neck as she kissed him. He slid his hands all over her wet body, but finally he reached up and took the wash cloth from her fingers.

"Your turn," he growled in her ear and turned her to face the wall.

This was the fantasy he had yesterday and he could tell already that she wanted it too, but he held back at first and gently ran the soapy wash cloth over her soft skin.

"Chuck," she ground out his name and wiggled her ass back against him.

"Yes?" he asked casually despite his own desire.

"I need…I have to…god…please," her words were cut off as he slipped the wash cloth around to the front of her torso, hitting every sensitive spot he could find.

Finally she knocked her forehead gently against the tile and made a sound somewhere between a moan and a purr that drove Chuck over the edge. Sarah heard the wet splat of the face cloth hitting the floor as she felt him take both of her hips in his hands.

"Now?" she looked back over her shoulder and the look on Chuck's face was so sexy she almost lost herself right there.

"Now," he assured her.

***555***

Chuck and Sarah took a little longer in the shower than originally planned so they had to hurry to get dried off and ready for their massage. Sarah sat at the vanity and brushed out her wet hair and piled it into a sloppy bun while Chuck kneeled behind her and kissed along the line from shoulder to shoulder above the edge of towel she had wrapped around her.

"Sorry about that," he said and she looked up to see his concerned face in the mirror.

"Sorry about what?" she said truly confused.

"That," he hooked a thumb back towards the shower.

"Still confused, why are you sorry?"

"That was a little quicker than I would have liked," he shrugged.

"Well we did not have time for leisurely and I much preferred that to nothing It was very very hot," she looked him in the eye and kissed him softly.

"Oh it was definitely hot, I just, I want you to know how special I think you are every time I get to do that."

"Chuck, I know. I know how much you respect me and value sex. I can remember our first time now, I can remember how careful and loving you were and I see the respect you have for me in every single thing you do in and out of bed, or, you know, showers," she giggled.

"You deserve that, Sarah, you deserve to be treated with respect."

Sarah knew at that moment that she had told Chuck a lot about herself, her messy childhood her early CIA days, he really knew her and had clearly been trying to improve the quality of life she enjoyed.

"Thank you, for being you, Chuck. I am a very lucky girl. I also know that we have lived a very busy life since we got together, you can't tell me we haven't had to utilize the quickie in the past. I mean the supply closet is nice, but it doesn't really lend itself to relaxing."

Chuck laughed, but his eyes went dark as he remembered various stolen moments in that supply closet after missions or before, when tensions were high and sex really took the edge off.

"I'll need details of whatever it is you are thinking about later," she kissed him quickly and stood, "now we have a massage."

***555***

Sarah and Chuck were like bags of jelly by the time they left the spa, they nearly had to hold each other up. Sam had offered to pick them up, but they assured him they would walk back to the cottage, but they only made it as far as the pool area before they collapsed in a couple of chaise lounges.

"Want a drink?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not sure alcohol is such a good idea," Chuck laughed as he let his arm flop to the side.

"Did the masseuse remove your bones, baby?" Sarah giggled.

"I feel so good," Chuck sighed.

"Me too."

A waiter appeared out of nowhere it seemed and offered Chuck and Sarah menus to peruse and it turned out that the bar also made smoothies.

"Mmmm, this is what we need babe," Sarah pointed.

"Good call," Chuck agreed and they each ordered an all-natural smoothie.

"Awesome would be so proud," Sarah grinned and Chuck was happy she remembered such a minor detail.

"Maybe the smoothie will give us enough energy for a swim," Chuck mentioned as they looked at the beautiful and empty swimming pool in front of them.

"Mmmm," Sarah nodded with effort.

Chuck found enough strength to lean over and pull her chair closer to his, they were spoiled by the double-wide chaise in the spa. He toed off his sandals and coaxed her foot and leg closer to his own. She wanted to just abandon her own chair and drape her boneless body over his, but they were much more out in the open than they had been all week, even though it appeared no one else was around.

"We are going to have a hard time acclimating to public life again," she smiled.

"How so?" Chuck asked just as the waiter arrived with their smoothies.

Sarah thanked him and waited for him to go all the way inside before she answered him.

"I want to always be touching you," she indicated their tangled feet, "in one way or another."

"We found socially acceptable ways to manage that before," Chuck assured her.

"Good," she leaned close enough to kiss the side of his face.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

Your Hands in Mine P8

Sarah woke alone on Day 5 of their trip, she felt along the sheets to find nothing but cool high thread count cotton and the barest hint of Chuck's scent left behind. As she cracked an eye she saw it was close to 11:00 am.

"Hey, sleepy," Chuck grinned as he waltzed in wearing jeans and a polo, his ubiquitous Chucks on his feet.

"Hey," she rolled and stretched for his benefit as much as her own.

"Nice try, but I have places to be," he smirked.

"Really?" she leaned up on her elbows so the sheets slipped below her very bare chest.

"Yes," Chuck said staring at the recently revealed skin and then collecting himself and looking at her face and repeating, "y-yes."

"Where exactly are you needed on our vacation?"

"Sam is taking me to town, I have some errands to run," he shrugged.

"OK," Sarah relented.

"Just, OK? No additional follow-up spy questions?" Chuck squinted at her.

"Nope," Sarah swung her long bare legs out of bed and stood in the path of morning sun that snuck through the drapes as if the heavens were shining a spotlight on her body.

"I am just going to kiss you," Chuck stated like a starving man who is just going to have one bite of a giant cake.

"Of course," Sarah nodded demurely.

"Just one kiss," he repeated.

"Uh huh," she reached out and looped a finger through his belt loop to pull him closer.

"Maybe two," he amended as he moved into the sweet warmth of her body.

"Two kisses," she clarified as she initiated the first one.

Chuck tasted like coffee and something sweet, strawberry maybe, and Sarah deepened the kiss to investigate further as his hands moved along her bare back, up to her messy hair where they were hopelessly tangled keeping them locked together for a nice long time.

"One," Chuck counted after their lips disconnected with a pop some minutes later.

"That was a really good kiss," Sarah noted her eyes now a darker shade of blue and her cheeks a soft pink, her lips wet.

"Yeah," Chuck nodded his voice kind of gone.

"It is really going to take something for kiss number two to live up to that," she teased.

"Mmmmm," Chuck agreed and Sarah could see his mind working through his options.

For a big tall guy Chuck was fairly unassuming, maybe all those years of having Casey around made him feel smaller than he is, but in this room with Sarah in her bare feet Chuck loomed over her a bit, used his body to subtly move her back towards the dresser. He reached down then, one hand cupping her jaw and the other cupping a thigh as he kissed her and encouraged her on to the dresser.

She didn't need instruction from there, once her bottom was secure she wrapped both legs around Chuck's waist and pulled him in close. His hand moved up her thigh, his fingers trailing along her sides to join the other on her face, giving him the ability to tilt her neck to deepen the kiss. They kissed like this, sneaking tiny little gulps of air when possible for as long as they could. Finally, Sarah felt light headed and pulled back, she opened her eyes to see Chuck's still closed and his lips still searching for hers.

"Go do your errands, I'll be here when you get back," Sarah promised as she ran her thumb over his wet bottom lip.

"Yeah, they are very fun errands," he smiled.

"Oh?" Sarah was intrigued now.

"All will be revealed in due time," Chuck promised.

"OK," Sarah smiled.

"Um Sarah, I need to go, I'm meeting Sam soon," Chuck said with a grin.

"I know, go ahead, I'm going to go for a run."

"OK, but you have to let me go," Chuck indicated Sarah's legs that were still securely wrapped around his waist.

"Oh yeah," she grinned and slowly lowered her legs, running her toes over his butt and along his jean-clad thighs.

"You do certainly give a guy ample reason for hurrying back," he noted as he perused her body one last time before forcing himself to turn and leave.

"Have fun!" she called after him before hopping off the dresser and gathering her running clothes.

***555***

Chuck needed the walk up to the main building to lower his heart rate after the very extended make out session with his wife. Leslie was meeting him in the main lobby to discuss the vow renewal, Chuck wanted to set up a couple things for Sarah in addition to what they had already planned.

Shortly after Sarah agreed to the 2nd wedding they looked at weather forecasts and picked a day that was slated to be sunny and warm. It left them a couple days afterwards for a honeymoon although they both laughed at how it would really not be any different than their trip so far, but both agreed the date was perfect.

"Hello Chuck," Leslie greeted when Chuck strode through the lobby.

"Hi Leslie, thanks for meeting me."

"No problem, let's take a seat," she indicated two comfy arm chairs with a tea service set on the table between them. "Tea?"

"Sure, thank you," Chuck smiled as the woman poured him a cup.

Chuck dropped a cube of sugar into his tea and leaned back to sip it.

"So everything is set for Tuesday," Leslie referred to a portfolio in her hand, "the justice of the peace is booked and the flowers are all ordered."

"That's wonderful, we appreciate the last minute nature of this," Chuck smiled.

"We all think it is very romantic," Leslie admitted.

"I would marry her every day," Chuck said honestly.

"That's so sweet."

"I'd like to surprise her with something back at the cottage that evening, make that night a little different than every other night of our trip," Chuck tried to explain.

"I have an idea, it will take a couple hours though, Sarah has appointments at the salon for her hair and other such things, maybe I can convince her to change there as well and just meet you at the beach?" Leslie offered.

"If it came from you she might not suspect anything was up," Chuck said although he knew his wife was more perceptive than most.

"We have lovely dressing rooms for brides, it will seem very natural," Leslie assured.

"Wonderful and I would like something formal for dinner in that lovely dining room we have and haven't really used," Chuck grinned.

"Of course," Leslie nodded, "anything particular in mind?"

"Not especially, Sarah likes fresh and local so I will defer to you on that. Neither of us have any food issues."

"Great," Leslie made a few notes in her portfolio as Sam made his way across the room.

"Ready?" Chuck finished his tea.

"I am whenever you are."

"Going in to town?" Leslie asked.

"Yes, I have a few more things to take care of," Chuck said cryptically.

***555***

Sarah ran for a long time, the resort had miles and miles of trails with stunning views at every turn. The weather was perfect for running and after fueling up on the breakfast Chuck had ordered earlier she felt like she could just keep going.

As she went in to her cool down she realized she was near the main building of the hotel, so she slowed to a walk fixed her messy ponytail and went in search of Leslie.

"Hello Sarah," the woman in question said as Sarah came through one of the big double wide doors off the back of the lobby.

"Hello!"

"Were you out for a run?"

"Yes, it was too nice to run indoors. I was hoping to ask you a favor."

"Of course, have a seat, I'll be right with you," Leslie indicated the quiet library area.

A moment later Leslie returned with a tray containing a bottle of cold water and a plate with a sliced apple and presented it Sarah.

"Thank you," Sarah smiled, the presentation was so lavish and thoughtful.

"My pleasure," which was always the answer here at Elbow Beach, and Sarah actually thought it was their pleasure.

"I was hoping to do something special for Chuck the night of our ceremony," Sarah began and Leslie bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh?" Leslie replied as if she hadn't heard the idea just an hour or so before from Chuck himself.

"I'm not sure what, but something in the room to make the evening special."

"Hmmmm, well, let me think on it. Do you trust me and my team?"

"Absolutely," Sarah said honestly as she looked down at the fancy apple tray.

"I'll take care of everything. Speaking of which we have all your appointments at the salon set for that afternoon, if you want we can have your dress and everything brought down and you can dress in one of the bride's suites, keep you away from Chuck's prying eyes" it was both an offer and a command.

"Sure," Sarah said without hesitation after spending the afternoon at the spa the day before. "I wish I had something new to wear. I have a couple nice dresses with me, but it feels like the occasion calls for something new."

"Well as you know Sam is in town with Chuck now, but I am sure he would be happy to bring you in later or tomorrow. With your figure you would surely be able to find something off the rack," Leslie suggested.

"I might just do that, you only get one second first wedding," Sarah grinned.

***555***

When Chuck pulled out his black Amex at the jewelry store everything slowed down, he was not just an American tourist looking for something for his wife, he was a rich American tourist looking for something serious for his wife.

"We're renewing our wedding vows, it is kind of sudden," Chuck explained.

"Do you want a ring?"

"Yes, but not a traditional ring, she has a ring and she loves it," Chuck said with a smile thinking of the moment after the beach when he saw Sarah's rings back on her finger where they belonged, he never wanted them to come off again.

"What do you want to say with the piece?" the jeweler asked.

"Well, this isn't our beginning it is just a special moment in our journey together and I want that journey to go on forever," Chuck said quietly, afraid it sounded corny.

"Wow," the older man leaned forward and looked at Chuck, "you've given this some thought."

Chuck just smiled and nodded.

"Do you have a picture of your wife?"

"I do," Chuck said as he reached for his phone and found a picture of Sarah from the other night in her black & white dress.

"She is lovely," the man said sincerely.

"None more beautiful," Chuck agreed.

"I think I have the perfect thing…" the man stood and indicated Chuck should follow him.

Moments later Chuck was bounding down the steps of the jewelry store with a bag in hand.

"Any luck?" Sam asked as he leaned against the car.

Chuck fished out the ring box and opened it for Sam who let out a low whistle.

"Think the hotel can secure this for me, I really want it to be a surprise."

***555***

It was mid-afternoon when chuck returned to the resort. There was no sign of Sarah in their cottage and as he walked out on the deck he could see why as the sun glinted off her blonde head down on the beach. He changed into shorts and a tee shirt, traded his Chucks for some flip flops and followed the path down to their private stretch of heaven.

As he approached his heart caught in his throat, seeing Sarah sitting on the sand with her knees tucked in to her chest looking out at the water, it was a bittersweet sense of déjà vu.

"Hi," she looked back at him with a smile.

"Hi," he smiled back as he walked the last bit to join her on the warm pink sand.

"There were dolphins earlier," she mentioned.

"I love you," he blurted out and was rewarded with the biggest smile from Sarah.

"I love you too. Always have, always will."

"That's my line," he joked.

"I mean it Chuck, those days I was not myself, part of me never stopped loving you, I am connected to you, forever," Sarah promised.

"I know," he nodded and he realized that he really did know that now.

"Forever," Sarah reiterated before kissing him.

TBC…


	9. Chapter 9

Your Hands in Mine P9

Usually the sight of Sarah was the most pleasant thing in the world to Chuck upon waking up in the morning, but Tuesday morning it was a bit startling. Chuck was asleep on his back and as he opened his eyes he saw Sarah, hovered over him in a nearly inhuman way.

"Gah, Sarah! What are you doing?" he asked as he realized she was holding a perfect plank form, no part of her body touching his.

"Just making sure you are really OK, not subconsciously upset about the wedding thing," she said.

"How long have you been holding that plank?"

"Awhile. I have very good core strength," she boasted.

"I am familiar," he leered and then reached out and tickled her side.

"No fair," she laughed and wobbled on her arms before landing with an 'oof' against his chest.

"I didn't think that all the way through," he groaned as he squeezed her tightly.

Sarah kissed along his neck back up to examine his face again, he seemed fine.

"You're sure this is OK, even though Ellie and Morgan aren't going to be here?"

"Yes, it was my idea, remember? And before that it was your idea the last time, just us," he stroked her hair and kissed her cheek.

"Just us," she repeated kissing him deeper.

"Mmmmm," he rolled her under him and inched her camisole up her body, "what time is it?"

"A little after 6:00," Sarah noted as she shifted to give his hands better access to her body.

"6:00?" he stopped what he was doing and stared at her.

"I couldn't sleep," she shrugged.

"Let me help you with that," he grinned and went back to igniting her skin with his fingers.

***555***

When Sarah next woke, her body sated and soft, she saw Chuck looking at her, his head resting against his bicep, his fingers inching closer to her messy hair.

"Morning?" she said/asked.

"Still morning, but a much more reasonable hour," he promised with a smile.

"It's a special day," she mentioned.

"Every day I wake up with you is a special day," he said sincerely.

***555***

"That's all you're taking?" Chuck asked as Sarah emerged from the bedroom with a small bag.

"Yep, everything else is already in the bridal suite at the spa," Sarah explained.

"Ahhh, no hints on what you are wearing?"

"Nope. You going to be OK here?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"I generally dress myself," Chuck nodded with a grin.

"True, I am much more efficient at undressing you," she tugged him close and kissed him with a loud smack.

"I'll look forward to that later," he kissed her forehead and let her go.

As soon as Sarah was over the hill from the cottage he called the front desk and told Leslie it was all clear. She had asked him to move whatever he needed from the bedroom to the spare room and use that bathroom to get himself ready. Chuck greeted a crew of 5 men and then disappeared to leave them to their work.

Sarah found a late lunch waiting for her at the spa.

"Don't want our bride to faint," Leslie said as she greeted her.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure. You excited?" Leslie asked as she uncovered the dishes on the room service tray.

"We had a big wedding, it wasn't even a year ago yet, but this is special. We went through a few things," Sarah shrugged as she broke a piece of bread.

"I've seen a lot of couples come here for a lot of reasons. Those who come this time of year generally want to be alone, to heal from something, illness or infidelity, loss of some sort or another. Very few of those couples look as happy as you two do, so whatever you have been through I hope this means you are seeing your way clear of it."

"We are," Sarah nodded, "and having this time alone here has been absolutely magical."

"It is hard to be unhappy here," Leslie smiled.

"I feel lighter here. We still have some things to figure out, work and whatnot, but I feel like I can deal with it all now."

Leslie had wondered about this couple, there was definitely something they were dealing with, she wondered if it was a miscarriage or the loss of a child, they did not seem like the type to cheat and she hoped neither of them were ill, they certainly seemed young and healthy.

"Well today you get to marry the man you love, again," Leslie laughed.

"I would marry him every day," Sarah said and Leslie froze, "what?"

"He said the exact same thing," Leslie confessed.

Sarah just smiled and popped a piece of melon in her mouth.

***555***

Chuck emerged from the 2nd bedroom dressed and ready to go. He heard all manner of noise coming from the main bedroom and saw some of the men setting the formal dining table. Before he could investigate any further there was a knock at the door.

"Somehow I knew you would be ready," Sam smiled.

"There isn't much to do. Once I know what I'm wearing the actual getting ready part is pretty quick."

"Well, you look good and you have time for a drink, let's get out of here and let these guys work," Sam indicated the staff that were puttering around.

"Sure," Chuck nodded.

The two men walked the winding paths from the cottage up to the restaurant. Instinctively Chuck kept an eye out for Sarah, although he knew she was under the care of several ladies in the spa at the moment.

"She's fine," Sam teased.

"I know," Chuck grinned at getting caught.

"Before I forget," Sam reached out and handed Chuck the ring he bought a few days earlier.

"Thanks, Sam," Chuck opened the box and smiled widely at the ring he chose, snapping the lid as he remembered Morgan chiding him for fiddling with the first one.

"Hey Sam," a big friendly guy behind the bar greeted.

"Bruce, this is Chuck, he's getting married," Sam clapped him on the back and they sat at the otherwise deserted bar.

"Well, Congratulations, what can I pour you?"

"Scotch neat, thanks."

"Make that 2," Sam added.

Bruce finished up a couple of tropical looking drinks and a woman came to retrieve them. Chuck wondered if they were for Sarah, but then he saw a couple out by the pool.

When Bruce slipped the 2 tumblers of amber liquid in front of the men Sam spoke.

"Chuck, I always wonder about the guests I work with. You can imagine that the people that stay in our private cottages are all usually quite wealthy, some of them rather eccentric, but for the life of me I can't figure you and Sarah out."

"We're pretty new to having money," Chuck shrugged honestly.

"It's been refreshing to see 2 people enjoy each other as much as they enjoy all the stuff, I'm sure you two have a long happy life ahead of you," he raised his glass in a toast.

Chuck's eyes flooded with tears, the weight of how much he almost lost was overwhelming him suddenly, he covered by thanking Sam for his sincerity and sipped the scotch to tamp down his emotions, he could cry later when it was just him and Sarah.

***555***

Everything was timed so that the ceremony would begin just as the sun set behind the spot Sarah was going to stand in, Chuck shielded his eyes as the brightness started to slip down the horizon.

"Ready?" the Justice of the Peace asked Chuck and indicated Sarah standing just off the beach.

"Yes, yes," Chuck shook himself out of his reverie.

Sarah approached and in the shifting light of sunset everything about her glowed, her hair was glossy and curly, her skin was sun kissed after 10 days in Bermuda and her lips shone with a simple pale pink gloss. The rings of their first wedding sparkled and her ears had small diamonds in them as well.

Chuck realized why her dress was at the spa, it was nothing he had ever seen before. One of those runs she took must have been into town. It was a simple dress, strapless and knee length, but flowy and summery, the very epitome of Sarah. It was white, but had a pattern of blue and pink flowers across the bottom. The blue flowers were the exact color of the ocean, the exact color of Chuck's shirt.

Chuck had white linen pants on and a blue shirt he had chosen in town, rolled up to his elbows, open at the collar. Sarah thought he looked as handsome as he did in his tux at their first wedding.

There was no music, but the sound of the waves and the song of the long tails was the perfect accompaniment to Sarah's short walk.

"Hi," she said as she took her spot.

"Hi, thanks for coming," Chuck joked.

"Wouldn't have missed it," she promised and crouched delicately to place her small bouquet at her feet before taking both of Chuck's hands in her own.

"Charles, Sarah, I am here today to bear witness as you commit yourselves to one another. The bond of two people dedicated to making a life together is precious and your desire to restate your promises to each other is admirable. Sarah," the older man gave Sarah her turn to speak.

"Chuck, I keep expecting to love you more," she began and Chuck's stomach churned a bit, "but I realize that is not possible, I couldn't love you more than I do. I love you so thoroughly and completely that I sometimes can't reign it all in. I look at you, like this ocean and can't see where my love for you could possibly end, it just keeps going and while that can be intimidating it is also immensely comforting. That love makes the good things in my life even better and the bad things entirely survivable. I like the Sarah I am when I am with you, I love the life we have together, I want children and I want to bring them here and watch them run on this beach," a tear slipped down her cheek at the word children and Chuck relinquished one of her hands to gently wipe it away.

"I want always with you Chuck, I want forever" she finished and he swallowed thickly knowing if he let his own tears fall he would never get through his vows.

"Chuck?" the Justice of the Peace gave him a moment to gather himself.

"Last time I promised action in lieu of vows and that promise still stands. Every day Sarah, I will prove to you every day how much I love you…"

"You do," she interrupted with a smile.

"So now some vows," he shrugged. "I Chuck Bartowski, take you Sarah Bartowski to be my partner in everything we do. No lies, no secrets, no heroic sacrifices that leave either one of us behind. All decisions here for made in the Bartowski household, from what brand of orange juice we buy to what happens at work are made together and in the best interest of this marriage and those kids you just mentioned," he grinned letting her know he hadn't missed that part.

"I don't consider today to be a 2nd wedding or a new beginning, it is just a stop on our journey together. A journey that was decided for us over 5 years ago and has already survived some unbelievable obstacles. Lesser love stories would have ended by now Sarah, but we are forever, for always," he reiterated her words.

"I didn't want to replace your rings," he began and Sarah instinctively clutched her hands together to cover her rings protectively.

"You have other fingers," he joked as he slipped the ring from his pocket and took her right hand.

"This ring is our life together, entwined and connected in a way that makes it hard to tell where one of us begins and the other ends, but still distinct enough to show that we are our own people," he slid the ring over her finger as they both looked down at it.

The ring Chuck chose had 2 diamonds surrounded by yellow gold and platinum vines, 2 colors forged together in an infinity symbol around the solid stones.

"Wow," Sarah's glassy eyes went wide causing a couple more tears to escape.

"You like it?" he asked.

"I love it," she nodded.

"It's us."

"It's perfect."

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

Your Hands in Mine P10/10

Notes: Thank you so much to those that came along on the trip to Bermuda, your words were so kind and supportive. This is the end of this story and this 2-story post-finale, but there will be something new soon, see the Notes at the end for more details…

***555***

"Congratulations," the Justice of the Peace shook both their hands after the kiss that sealed their latest set of vows and a few pictures snapped on Chuck's phone.

"Thank you," Chuck smiled as they watched the man move back up to the resort.

"Let's walk," Sarah suggested as she picked up her small bouquet of flowers.

"Sure," Chuck agreed knowing there may still be things going on at the cottage.

Sarah of course had the same thought so she walked them down the curve of the beach towards the rocks they sat on their first full day on the island.

"Are you warm enough?" Chuck asked as he reached a long arm around her bare shoulders.

Sarah was staring at her new ring.

"Don't go back to the CIA," she blurted out.

"OK."

"Really?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"We can talk about the Intersect and CI and what we want to do, but if you go back to Beckman all those vows we just made won't mean anything, the Agency always wins."

"I know."

"When I remembered that feeling of nearly losing you in Thailand, when I remember being just barely recovered on our wedding day, when I think about holding a gun on you just weeks ago. I know life is unpredictable and one of us could be hit by a bus any time, but working for the CIA makes those odds unacceptable," she took his hands again as if reciting more vows.

"Sarah, all I want is you and those hypothetical kids running around. The CIA and the Intersect brought us here, but we don't owe them or my father's legacy anything. You know DST is working on technology that will make the Intersect look like an Atari console, the intelligence world won't even miss us."

"So we are telling Beckman no," she clarified.

"We are telling Beckman no."

"And we can sort out the rest later?"

"We have a couple low profile clients at CI right now that will keep us busy and you were there with the lawyer, we are more than fine for money, so yes, we can sort out the rest later. Including how many kids we're going to have, I'm thinking 5, they can be their own basketball team," Chuck teased.

"Well they are bound to be tall, but 5, really?" she wrinkled her nose.

"OK, maybe not 5," he acquiesced, "we only have 4 arms between us."

"You'll be a great Dad," she smoothed a hand along his shirt, loving the warmth of his skin through the blue material.

"I hope so."

Sarah moved closer, in reality she was a bit chilled now that the sun had set. Chuck wrapped her tightly in his arms, rubbed his hands along her exposed back and shoulders making her tingle.

"We should head back," Chuck murmured against her hair.

"Make a wish," Sarah pointed as a star emerged over the water.

"Done," Chuck closed his eyes and then opened them.

"Let's go make it come true," she took his hand and led him back towards the cottage.

"How do you know what it was? I could have wished for a hover board, I have wanted one since I was 8," Chuck laughed.

Sarah pulled up short and he crashed in to her in a delicious fashion, his hands forced to her hips to keep them from toppling into the sand.

"The only thing I have on under this dress is a very lacy very small pair of panties," she whispered hotly in his ear, "Care to rethink your wish?"

Instead of an answer Chuck picked Sarah up and threw her inelegantly over his shoulder, her squeals of delight could be heard by the diners on the restaurant patio.

It was tough work to trudge through the sand with Sarah over his shoulder, but Chuck soldiered on and soon they arrived at the path up to the cottage. All along the path there were lit torches that were not there earlier guiding their way.

"This is different," Chuck said.

"What?" Sarah asked and Chuck turned around so Sarah could see.

"Let's see what is going on up there," he grinned and carried her up the path.

Chuck put Sarah down on the patio, the twinkle lights from their impromptu dessert and dancing last week were illuminated and there were flowers everywhere, the dance floor was back and there was a beautifully wrapped present and a bottle of chilled champagne on the table next to a tiny little wedding cake complete with a tiny bride and groom on top.

"Pretty," Sarah noted as she plucked a flower from an arrangement and slipped it behind her ear.

"Yes, you are," Chuck said honestly, "the prettiest thing I have ever seen."

Sarah was disarmed by him, by how handsome he was and sincere. She felt shy all of a sudden and innocent, completely stripped of all of her defense mechanisms around him, she just smiled. Chuck slid the door to the living room open and stepped back, Sarah assumed so she could enter first, but instead he picked her up again, not over his shoulder but as a groom should.

"Chuck," she laughed as he maneuvered them over the threshold in one piece.

"You dropped me," Sarah exclaimed.

"Oh sure, that you choose to remember," he grimaced, "and to be fair I tripped and dropped both of us."

"In to a heap of wedding dress," she laughed, but her laughter turned sultry as the rest of the memory slid into her mind of the two of them making love on the floor of their hotel room just minutes after arrival.

"I remember," was all she said, her voice dry.

Chuck kissed her then, still in his arms and felt her heart beating steadily against his own chest.

"Something smells good," she pulled back and finally looked around to see a fully set table and side board.

"Oh yeah, I ordered dinner," Chuck remembered and gently relinquished his hold on her body.

Not ready to leave him all together Sarah kissed him again and linked their fingers as they approached the food.

"Hungry?" Chuck asked innocently.

"Yes," Sarah replied, her voice still dry as she hopped up on the sideboard and pulled Chuck close, kissing him deeper.

"This will keep," he said hazily as Sarah laughed.

"Patience, Chuck, we should enjoy this food you had arranged. It looks amazing," Sarah noted as she looked at the iced tray of seafood to her left.

Chuck watched with rapt attention as Sarah used a tiny fork to lift a piece of salmon with capers from the tray and place it on a piece of toasted bread, she squeezed a tiny bit of lemon on it, her every move calculated and sexy, but instead of eating it she held it out to Chuck.

He took a bite and the crunch of the toast and the meltingly smooth salmon felt so good in his mouth, the acid of the lemon and capers made his mouth water as the sweet salmon soothed his tongue.

"Oh my God," he moaned as Sarah ate the other half and nodded.

"I am actually kind of hungry," Sarah giggled.

"Well, if we are going to share all our food like that I am all for it," he leaned in and kissed her again.

They worked their way through all the trays and chafing dishes in that manner, small bites shared and savored together.

"Had enough?" Chuck asked as Sarah put her plate down on the sideboard and wrapped her legs around him.

"Yes, it was delicious, thank you."

"I just said we wanted food, this is all the resort," he shrugged.

When Sarah kissed him this time Chuck knew dinner was over and the dancing and dessert was going to have to wait. An hour of feeding each other and touching and kissing was more than enough foreplay for the two of them who were already so emotionally full after their day.

"Bed, Chuck," Sarah instructed .

"Mmmmhmmm," he nodded bumping his nose against hers.

Chuck pulled Sarah off the sideboard, her legs still locked around his waist and her arms around his neck and got her back to their bedroom without dropping her like their first wedding night. When he stepped into the bedroom though he knew something was different.

"Sarah?" he said in awe as Sarah moved her lips down to his neck and open shirt collar.

"Babe?" he said again and lowered her legs to the floor.

"Yeah?" she replied breathlessly.

"Look," he said in shock.

"Oh my God," Sarah's eyes widened.

When Chuck and Sarah had both mentioned to Leslie that they wanted to do something different to their cottage they each had envisioned some flowers and candles. Sarah honestly thought the arrangement on the patio was enough, but as they both looked around the bedroom they had shared for 10 days they couldn't believe their eyes.

"Surprise," they both said in unison.

"What?" Chuck said confused.

"I asked Leslie to do something special for tonight," Sarah mentioned.

"No, I asked Leslie to do something…" Chuck grinned.

"She must think we are lunatics," Sarah laughed.

"Well, she certainly delivered."

What had previously been an open airy beachy room with white painted wood furniture and white linens was now completely transformed into a colonial looking masterpiece fit for a museum. The dresser was tall dark wood with brass fixtures, the lamps brass with ornate shades and even the drapes were a different style, in gold brocade. The biggest difference of all though was the bed, what was a lovely comfortable and otherwise simple king sized bed was now a giant four poster dark wood frame with exquisite linens and pillows.

"This is, how did they do this?" Sarah asked.

"I remember seeing one of the other cottages had a more colonial feel. I picked this one for my toes in the sand girl, but they must have swapped the furniture," Chuck said still in shock.

"It's like we are going on a honeymoon in the same room we've been in for 10 days," Sarah grinned.

"That's exactly what I wanted," Chuck nodded.

"Mission accomplished," Sarah said as she moved towards the bed.

The bed was so high Sarah had to hop onto it, but once she did she melted into the mattress and pillows.

"Comfy?" Chuck stood at the foot of the bed watching her recline into its soft depths.

"Very."

Chuck reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt, but Sarah would have none of that, she made her way to her knees and scooted down to the end of the bed and replaced his fingers with her own, slipping each plastic disc through the tiny hole.

Chuck felt his knees tremble when Sarah leaned forward to kiss the skin as she exposed it.

"You need to come up here," she suggested as she sat back on her heels.

Chuck climbed on to the bed from the end, overtaking Sarah and bending her back until she had to turn to free her own legs. He kissed slowly and wetly along the edge of her dress, the skin there slightly salty from the ocean wedding hours earlier.

"You smell like the beach," he grinned against the skin of her throat.

"You smell like my Chuck," she replied as she inhaled and became overwhelmed by a flood of intimate memories.

It was almost like an Intersect flash, but instead of it hurting it was so incredibly arousing. She saw Chuck over her and under her, his head arched back in pleasure or tucked in close to taste her. Chuck could feel the tremor that went through Sarah's body.

"You OK?" he asked as he pulled back a bit.

"Yes, I remember loving you Chuck. I remember so much all of a sudden."

"Yeah? Are you alright?" he stroked her hair back concerned.

"I am so good. Make love to me," she asked.

She didn't have to ask twice. Chuck made short work of the lovely decorative pillows and worked Sarah out of her dress with little trouble. True to her word all she had on was a tiny lacy pair of underwear. Chuck worked the blankets up and off the bed, moving them to the foot of the bed for later. The sheets he uncovered were a deep brick red and the contrast of Sarah's hair and body against the sheets was almost too much for Chuck to handle.

"Wow," he breathed before capturing her lips once more.

***555***

"They didn't replace the bath tub," Chuck reported when he returned from the bathroom later.

"Well that's good, you have become quite attached to it," Sarah giggled.

"I like this bed though," Chuck launched himself into it and landed very nearly on top of Sarah.

"I like any bed that has you in it," Sarah smiled cheesily.

"Sweet," he kissed her gently, and then not so gently.

"Mmmmm, we are going to do that again, real soon, but right now we need to go have cake."

"I can go get the cake and bring it back here and we could eat it off…" Chuck leered but his thoughts were interrupted.

"We are not eating in this pristinely beautiful bed," Sarah corrected and slid out of said bed to find their bathrobes.

Clad in the soft terry cloth of the hotel robes they padded barefoot to the patio. Chuck got the fireplace started with ease and soon the chill of the night air was gone. Sarah popped the champagne and poured, handing a glass to Chuck.

"To forever," he said.

"To always," she replied before clinking her glass to his and sipping the sweet bubbly wine.

"Do you have your phone?" she asked suddenly.

"No, it's in my other bathrobe," he smirked.

"Go get it, I want a picture of the cake before we eat it."

Chuck returned with the phone and snapped a couple of pictures. Sarah then wielded the cake knife with her normal acuity slicing a nice sized wedge of cake. She was thrilled to discover it was traditional white cake, her favorite. She went to grab a fork and Chuck intercepted the plate, swiping a long finger through the icing and smearing it on her nose.

"You did not," she tried to sound affronted but the laughter shook her façade.

"Yep," he said as his tongue snuck out and licked the tiniest bit of frosting from the tip of her nose.

"Goofball," she accused as she attempted to clean the icing from her face.

"Mmmm, it is good," he mentioned as he went back to the plate and took some more on his finger.

"Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded and held his finger out and watched intently as she took it in her mouth. Sarah could feel the heat radiating off of him again, see the dilation of his pupils and hear the slight increase in his respiration.

"I have a present for you," she forestalled his passion for a moment.

"Oh?" he asked and reached for the tie on the bathrobe she was wearing.

"It isn't under my robe," she swatted at him playfully.

"That's the only present I need," he said honestly, kissing her again to near distraction.

"Well, I bought you something too," she placed a firm hand on his chest to get his attention.

The hand on his chest wore the new ring he had just given her and they both looked at it lovingly. Her other hand reached back and found the beautifully wrapped gift.

"Did you wrap this?" he asked with an arched brow.

"No, the woman at the store did," Sarah giggled, wrapping gifts was one of the few skills Sarah did not possess.

"Oh good, I will feel less bad about destroying it," he winked and tore at the paper.

What Chuck unwrapped was a wooden box that opened to reveal a beautiful compass.

"You're my home Chuck, you always have been," Sarah repeated familiar words.

Chuck looked up at her with tears in his eyes. She placed her hand on his and turned it so he could see the back, there in perfect script it read "Always have, always will."

The End

Notes: So this is the end of my post-finale world….for now. What comes next is a story I am going to call Chuck vs The Love Scenes. As I wrote this story I found myself starting to give Sarah memories of things we didn't see on screen (their honeymoon for example) and that I really wanted to see (Chuck mourning his father's death) so I am going to go back and write a missing scene or scenes from each episode starting with chuck vs. the other guy through chuck vs the bullet train. Either a mid-ep scene or a continuation, but each will be a Charah scene I wish we had seen. Look for it to start next week!


End file.
